


And Life is Wine

by Emono



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Game of Thrones Fusion, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Body Worship, Breeding Kink, Courtship, Crossdressing Themes, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub Undertones, Dominance, Fantasizing, Feminization, Frottage, Implied Mpreg, Knotting, Knotting Dildos, Light Bondage, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Mad King Ryan, Ownership, Politics, Rimming, Rose Queen, Scenting, Shameless Smut, Threesome - M/M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-11
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-02-12 16:03:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 132,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2116083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emono/pseuds/Emono
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>King Ryan, the Mad King, sovereign of the Seven Kingdoms. Ray, his Rose Queen, heart of the people. And their Hound, Dan, Wolf King from across the sea turned personal guard dog to the royal couple. What does this life have in store for them?</p><p>-</p><p>“I only did the job you bestowed upon me, my king. I would never let someone hurt either you or the Queen. I swore an oath.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Daniel's Reward

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [I'd Like It Better If I Could Win At It](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1757769) by [Emono](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emono/pseuds/Emono). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You did well today in court, Daniel.”

**I'm not even going to explain this little universe. I may never add another chapter but maybe I will, I dunno. I just needed to get it out of my head. Inspired super heavily by[my Omegaverse fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1757769). If you have any questions just go ask this lovely gal right [here](http://aledagio.tumblr.com/post/83942134857/team-youre-mine-now-the-real-team-anti-nice). She practically wrote this universe herself and there's no fics for it because it's all on Skype. I really don't want to make anything complicated, I just want a spot of porn. **

**This is and is not connected to the main fic. Same couples, same dynamic, basically all of Ray's Mad King dreams come to life. Which means that stuff with Joel happened. Enjoy.**

**"No I In Threesome" by Interpol is where the title and semi-inspiration is.**

**This is out of sequence, so[here's the linked post](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/95604916006/and-life-is-wine-chronological-masterpost-wip) to read it in the right order if you don't like that.**

 

* * *

 

“You did well today in court, Daniel.”

 

Dan ducked his head to hide his pleased smile, hands folded politely behind him as he followed behind his king. Gavin and Michael, the sweet little Omegas that they were, had hit him like a storm the moment he'd detoured to his rooms and had removed his armor with an efficiency they had gained from years of serving him back in his homeland. The fine, ebony armor his king had gifted to him was probably being lovingly polished by Gavin right this moment before Michael secured it to the stand near his bed. But Dan took his job as personal guard very seriously and though the halls between his rooms and those of royal family were lined heavily with soldiers, he didn't want to leave his king alone for even a moment in case something similar to court happened again.

 

Dan had struck down an assassin disguised as a distraught villager come to ask the crown for sympathy but he had buried his sword in the impostor's neck before he'd had a chance to draw his own hidden blade. Dan had then knelt before his king, covered in the bastard's blood, and pledged the kill in his name.

 

_'For the glory and honor of King James Ryan Haywood, First of His Name, rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.'_

 

“I only did the job you bestowed upon me, my king,” Dan assured him. “I would never let someone hurt either you or the queen. I swore an oath.”

 

Ryan stopped and turned toward him, torches casting shadows over his handsome face and the rich robes he wore. A heavily gloved hand reached out and snagged Dan by the nape of the neck, squeezing, the calm wave making his muscles go loose and his arms drop to his sides. Back in his homeland he was an Alpha's Alpha, the Wolf King, the epitome of strength for his people. But since he'd left to amend the broken bond between their countries and the “Mad King” had taken more than a liking to him that day in the courtroom.

 

Ryan had given him a choice: He could either stay and be the personal guard to the crown and go back to his homeland in a year as a better leader and a stronger fighter, or he could return to his own palace across the sea in a coffin with a broken neck. Dan had chosen life and within a few days he had fallen head first in his role. He adored the queen with all his heart. Ryan had given him all the tools he needed to become a better fighter. Armor, personalized weapons, training, all the food he could eat, and one of the highest positions in the kingdom. His loyalty lied with the royal couple.

 

“Little wolf pup,” Ryan hummed, pulling him in and kissing his shaved-smooth cheek, “You struck him down so well. I shall reward you for this.”

 

Dan's heart melted. “N-No reward necessary, my king. I am more than happy to do it.”

 

“You and that sweet lilt,” Ryan laughed softly at his trembling words and released him. “Come.”

 

Dan eagerly followed his king back to the royal chambers. _My king_ no longer felt strange to say. In fact, he savored it. Here in Haywood's lands he wasn't expected to rule, to make every little decision and suffer the consequence of them. He hadn't been a terrible ruler but he was surely not bred for it. It was evident in the way he held himself, the uncertain waver of his voice when he tried to overrun a difficult debate. He was a young Alpha in a world full of hyenas and he wasn't sure he'd even still be alive if he'd stayed across the ocean in his own kingdom. Here he could follow Ryan's sure command and he shined while doing it. _Hound_ , they called him. He didn't mind.

 

At the door was Heyman, one of the soldier's that the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard favored. He couldn't meet Ryan's eyes as they approached the door. “Welcome back, Your Grace.”

 

“Joel.” The name slithered out of him silky smooth with a intense level of implication.

 

The soldier jumped when the king tapped his chest plate. “I hope your evening has been quiet.”

 

“Silent,” Joel replied quickly, flags of color appearing on his finely boned cheeks. Ryan skimmed the back of his knuckles over the soldier's face and he almost cowered, shame shining in his dark eyes. The king chuckled and waved Dan on, leaving Joel to slump against the wall.

 

It was a faint surprise to be led past the outer-chambers where a few familiar faces flashed. Geoff, one of the king's favorite knights and who their were rumors of being some form of 'true heir', played cards with the head of the kitchen, Jack. They bowed their heads and murmured _my king_ as the two Alphas passed but otherwise didn't move away from their wine or the fire. The king's personal quarters were large and luxurious and Dan always felt a strong mix not belonging and belonging too well when he visited.

 

And on the overstuffed, silk lined bed lay the queen.

 

“Your Grace,” Dan greeted lowly, averting his eyes respectfully. He knew it was an honor and a privlege to be in the queen's presence, and to be here in their nest was a gift he would never get used to. Ryan was protective of his Omega and the only time he let him out of his sight was when he was in the chambers or out in the gated gardens.

 

“Dan,” Ray beamed, sitting up and tying his robe tighter around his body, “I haven't see you all day. Did you two have fun in court?”

 

“Our pup ripped the throat out of an assassin,” Ryan stated, taking off his crown and placing it on the velvet lined pillow for which it rested when not upon his brow.

 

Ray scooted to the side of the bed, looking ready to throw himself at either man. “Are you both alright? What happened? Are you hurt?”

 

“Don't worry your pretty head about it,” Ryan teased lightly. “Daniel took care of it with ease. He set a good example. I don't expect another death threat for at least two months.”

 

“It'd be best if you steered clear of court for a little while, my queen,” Dan suggested.

 

Ray placed a hand over his heart and sighed in relief. “I know I should be used to this by now but the thought that someone wanted to murder you on your throne – to harm you, even – it's still a shock.”

 

“Don't you ever worry,” Dan soothed, raising his head to smile at the young Omega. “I will never let our enemies take the king from us.”

 

Ray smiled sweetly. “From 'us', Dan?”

 

Dan blushed hotly, tongue fumbling over a few responses before he managed to get his composure back. “From _you_ , of course, Your Grace.”

 

Ryan started removing his gloves and the foreign Alpha moved to help him but got batted away. “You have so many layers, sire. Let me help you.”

 

“I can manage,” Ryan growled lowly. He was clad in furs and leather under-armor, belts and snaps and latched all up. The thin leggings the stretched between the hem of his kilt and the heavy line of his high boots was as sparse as it got, the rest of him well protected. It was a considerable weight to hold during the day-to-day but it had served him well before he'd taken in the wayward Wolf King to shield him.

 

Dan bowed his head and stepped away, “Of course. I meant no offense.”

 

“There is something you can help me with,” Ryan's words were casual as he started to slowly tug off his gloves. “You can lick open my Omega so he's ready for me when I finish undressing. If he's not loose enough for my cock by the time I finish you'll be sleeping on the floor. Do I make myself clear, Daniel?”

 

Dan felt a pulse of unadulterated lust go through his groin. It wasn't often his king played with him like this. The acts had been hesitant at first, more a challenge than an offer, and slowly his king had grown affection for him. The royal couple owned him mind, body, and soul until his year there was up. Ray, the soft-hearted Rose Queen, had stolen his heart from the moment he'd seen him. Dan had been permitted to kiss his king's mate before, touch him through his clothes, and the last time he'd done this he'd been allowed to service his smooth cock while Ryan had watched.

 

“I understand, my king.”

 

How could he not give himself to them? Though Ryan was the one who gave him his sword and assigned him to train with his best knights, it was Ray who soothed his wounds afterward and rubbed balm into his bruises. Dan stayed at his king's side during every meeting and highly populated meal but he knelt and dug in the earth with the queen in the garden. They shared quiet afternoons, his mornings and evenings full of Ryan's stoic presence and dark humor.

 

This offer was a rare, special treat.

 

“Ryan?” Ray squeaked, eyes all wide and darting between them.

 

Weighty, jeweled rings fell into a polished stone bowl. “I'm sorry, darling, do you disapprove? Should I send our pup back to his room?”

 

Ray peered at their guard from beneath his lashes, fingers playing with the sash that hid his nude form. “No...no, there's no need for that.”

 

Dan knelt on the fur rug in front of the Omega, taking up one of his soft hands and brushing his lips across the palm of it. His scent was always sugar sweet like the glaze the cooks put on the honey buns but there was a savory, flowery smell clinging to the lines of his hands from the castle garden and the bath oil that he rubbed into his skin every morning. “Trust me to make you feel good, Your Grace.”

 

“Always,” Ray promised under his breath before a chaste kiss was dropped onto the Alpha's cheek.

 

Slowly, oh so slowly, Dan slid his hands under the queen's thighs and urged him to lay on his back. The silk robe was parted just enough to get the material out of his way. Dan knew of the queen's insecurities and how he didn't like to be too exposed unless he was under he weight of his Alpha king, so he didn't try to remove it completely. He would love to kiss that shapely mouth and bite those small, dark nipples until they grew hard and swelled under his canines. But their king was stripping off his cape now and soon he would be naked and he wanted to make sure Ray was relaxed before that.

 

“You're lovely, my queen.”

 

Ray hid his face behind the back of his hand. “Don't say things like that, Dan.”

 

“But you are.”

 

Dan hooked the boy's legs over his shoulders with a comforting little grunt, curling his big palms along his hips and tugging them to the end of the bed. It was easy to maneuver Ray because he really was so young, younger than himself, but willing and flexible in the way Omegas tended to be. With Ryan's eyes burning into him, Dan tilted the boy up and dragged a pillow under his back to keep him comfortable and elevated. It was the perfect angle and he hungrily drank in the sight of his small hole, already glistening and flexing as his Omega body prepared itself. The smell of two virile, lusty Alphas was doing things to his brain and there were already faint moans slipping out of him and he hadn't even been touched yet.

 

A flat swipe over the small, eager entrance gave him his first true taste of the Omega queen and he almost drew back. It was overwhelming. It had that faint sweetness that mirrored his scent but there was a raw, natural edge to it. _Honeysuckle_. The small yellow and white flowers that held a single drop of sweetness in their bodies. Dan pulled the boy's cheeks apart, thumbs framing the hole, and glanced up to make sure his queen was alright. Seeing his bashful smile, he wet his lips and dove back in. He lapped and kissed at the tight muscle and slowly convinced it to open enough to let his tongue slide inside. His slick walls were warm and tried to clamp down on him but he coaxed them down to a small flutter. He rubbed up and down Ray's thighs, tongue tracing the rim from the inside and out. His cock was trapped in his small clothes but he knew he wouldn't be satisfying it so he chose to ignore his own desire and fed the urge into making the Omega feel good.

 

“ _Oh,_ Gods.” Ray was moaning delicately, thighs trembling on either side of the Alpha's head, hips twitching up to chase the wet feeling. He was flushed from cheeks to chest and, nipples straining under the silk robe. Every gasp for breath had the material slipping open farther to expose him an inch at a time. His fingers were busy twisting around in the smooth sheets. His dark hair was usually brushed smooth but now it was wild as he thrashed his head around. “D-Dan!”

 

Dan smiled before he dove in with more enthusiasm, spreading him as far as possible without hurting the boy so he could plunge in deep. The more Ray got worked up the wetter he became, slick flowing onto his tongue thicker than before. He drank it down without hesitation, the taste making his knot throb within his breeches. He'd probably leave this room frustrated with a throbbing cock but he didn't mind. An Omega could easily be found to slake his lust but these exchanges were all he needed. After having the queen moaning around your tongue and the king's gaze branding you, a normal romp with a scullery maid wasn't exactly satisfying.

 

Dan was so wrapped up in his task he didn't notice that Ryan had stripped down to nothing. The hand in his hair, though, got his attention very quickly. He was yanked away and thrown onto the floor, left staring up at the light flickering across the ceiling with surprised confusion. He gasped harshly as his king dropped a knee onto his stomach and leaned over him, a dark look in those usually crystalline eyes. It was the kind of chilling expression Ryan used on courtiers who annoyed him or diplomats who spoke ill of his queen. It hadn't been directed at him since his first day at court. Dan shuddered under him, eyes falling to the king's sizeable cock that was thick with blood and shining at the tip.

 

“That's enough,” Ryan growled hotly, grabbing the younger Alpha by the neck and dragging him up until they were face to face. Dan whined submissively and parted his legs, letting the king's knee slip from his stomach to rest just under his balls. It was dangerous and the older man could easily hurt him but he trusted him with everything – his life, his health, his very sanity.

 

Just when he thought he was going to get his throat torn out or punched square in the jaw, Ryan started lapping softly at his chin to taste the Omegan slick that was dripping there. Dan made a high pitched sound as the king cleaned up the silky drops that had trailed down his neck, teeth coming out to leave behind tiny pinpricks of color on his pale skin. Those firm, generous lips came back up to slide across his own in a slow, thorough kiss that ate every speck of Ray's taste off his palate.

 

“What good boys I have,” Ryan mused when he pulled away, petting through Dan's dark hair and slipping his thumb between his swollen mouth. He swiped his tongue one last time over the younger Alpha's lower lip before he drew away. “You did well, pup. I have another reward for you after your valiant actions today.”

 

As the king pulled back, Dan panted after him like the dog the kingdom called him. “Please.”

 

“Patience,” Ryan whispered, still holding his personal guard by the throat to keep him where he wanted him. He could feel the smaller Alpha's cock throbbing against his thigh but he refused to move or give him any sort of friction. “You will stay here and watch. And when I've thoroughly ruined my sweet little flower-” There was a loud whimper from the bed as Ray tried to cover his gaping, wet hole. “-and I _will_ , there's no doubt in that, my love. You be patient as well.”

 

The king's hand squeezed around Dan's windpipe, a demand to listen more than a threat.

 

“Now, Daniel, you will be still. You can touch yourself if you want, my boy, I won't stop you.” A surprisingly chaste kiss was dropped on his cheek. “But if you come you will go back to your room.”

 

“I-If I don't?”

 

“If you manage to control yourself, then I will finish you myself.” Ryan grinned wolfishly, all teeth and sharp promise. “And then you can sleep with us here where it's warm. Would you like that?”

 

Dan nodded quickly, heart light and fluttery at the prospect of getting so many wonderful gifts. Maybe, if he was really good, his king would let him suck on his slick-stained fingers and ride his thigh to completion. It was whorish and desperate but he would take what he could get.

 

“Good.” The king stood to his full height, looming over him, his impressive cock hovering just a few scant inches from his face. Dan looked down, trying to retain even a modicum of respect with the smell of the queen's arousal all over his chin and soaking the air. He got a finger under his chin and was made to look up.

 

“Sire?”

 

“You wouldn't want me to hurt our queen, would you?”

 

The word _our_ made his skin prickle in the best way.

 

“No, my king.”

 

“My Omega's already so wet,” his head was slowly dragged closer, the intent clear. “A little more wouldn't hurt, would it?”

 

Dan's dark lashes fluttered as pure heat washed through him. “No, my king. Will you allow me to help you with this?”

 

Ryan smirked. “With _this_ , always.”

 

“Wait, husband.”

 

Dan closed his mouth and drew back from where he'd been about to lap at the wet head of the king's cock. He bowed his head in subservience as Ryan released his chin and turned toward his queen.

 

“Yes, darling?”

 

“Not yet,” Ray sat up on his elbows, still beautifully flushed as the silk pooled around his lithe body. “The first time you allow him that...I want to teach him.”

 

Ryan's brows knit.

 

“You're a lot to take,” Ray actually grinned. “I'm hardly used to it and it's one of my favorite hobbies. Let's put that off until a night when I can give him some licorice and Valerian root to open his throat up. You'll hurt him, my love.”

 

Ryan thought about it for a moment before he smiled, lips curved up in a gentle slope that usually only his queen got to see. He pulled a wide, plump pillow off the bed and tossed it on the floor. “Kneel, pup.”

 

Dan scrambled to obey. “Yes, sire.”

 

* * *

 

 **Leave a comment saying if you want to see more, leave a suggestion, something you want to see. You guys know the drill, I am an author of the people (mostly because I don't have my own ideas). Make sure to check out the original fic :) It's super long but worth a look-over**  

 

 


	2. Daniel the Wolf King - Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The king beheaded the executioner for taking too long and then did the deed himself. Casual violence should always be surprising. Even here.”

**Guess what? I stole real facts from history. Dan's kingdom is small like Sparta and has all the same attributes (with some exceptions, history buffs, don't kill me. I know Sparta had two ruling family to keep the balance of power but oops.) Imagine Ryan's kingdom super-similar to Game of Thrones and Tudor-run England. So if you're not familiar, I'm sorry. Just enjoy the ride and maybe watch an episode of GoT and "300".**

**A "Gerousia" is a council of elders, an "agoge" is the coming of age ritual in Sparta and it was _real serious_ stuff, and a "maester" is a healer/teacher dude that serves a king. **

**This is the arc on how Dan came to belong to the King and Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. This story is one part serious two parts me losing my fucking mind from watching Game of Thrones three times in a row.**

**Come[check me out](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/) and drop a suggestion or whatever**

  

* * *

 

“My prince?" the voice halted. "Forgive me, my _king_?”

 

Dan quickly dropped his hand from his mouth and sat up straighter, looking around briefly before spotting one of his many advisers bowing low in the doorway. He had inherited a great many from his father and brothers' councils but this one he recognized, a favorite of his oldest brother Maleos. He had yet to sort through them and pluck out his own personal council so for now they all just lurked around under his feet. The little study room Dan had sequestered himself into was full of stained glass and scrolls and the padded window ledge he now sat on, all of it a favorite of his late mother's. He'd come here to reflect and be alone but it seemed that was impossible. It was a filthy habit to chew on one's nails, and a weak one to mourn as deeply as he was, so he had tried to hide himself away for a little while. The palace rats would find him everywhere from here on out.

 

The three black arm bands in his lap declared him king. Sparta was small but fierce, and it was his. His father had passed away from illness just a few scant months ago, the same kind of fever taking Maleos not long after. A few days ago his second brother – Iamos, Second of His Name, favored of their father – died at the end of a sword in a battle he had no right to be in. But he had been looking to prove himself and he'd always been a true warrior at heart. Now that heart was pierced and burnt, his ashes still remaining in the skies from the grand ceremony. Iamos I, their father, had no other heirs. Maleos' wife, the she-witch that she was, spouted off about pregnancy but there was a rumor that she still bled and was buying time. (Dan made a note to make sure she was set up nicely somewhere in the country if only for the memory of his older brother). Iamos II had been unwed and his intended had flee back to her home land the moment she learned of her death (the smart girl). He had sisters to swell with little heirs and no mate of his own to speak of.

 

All that was left was a third, useless son who had been slapped with the ungodly name “Wolf King” for the wolf pet cloak he often wore over his thin armor. It was something he had made himself and he had several for the dry lands around his kingdom were often plagued with freezing nights. Wolves were rare creatures and he often hunted them down while out on his adventures and would bring back his fur prize for blankets and clothing. It was nothing more than a point of pride on his part to out hunt a hunter but once a name got tossed around it would often stick.

 

“My king,” the adviser repeated, raising up to stand at his full impressive height, “I'm sorry to bother you. But with all the arrangements for you father and brothers finished – my they find endless wine and bountiful game in the Warrior Fields – it is time for other matters. Three new members of the Gerousia need to be voted in, and you must oversee it. There is of course the matter with the Assyrians to be discussed since they decided to put a blade through your brother's heart. If we are to declare war, now is the time to do it. Your generals and war council are at the ready. Along with the citizens council to discuss the dry season.”

 

Dan's head was heavy with a metaphorical crown and he started twisting the bands up in his fingers. He'd never been a position like this before. He was the ignored third son of the great Iamos with the skills of an archer and pale skin. He'd never even gone through _agoge_ – he'd been royalty, exempt, and his father had sneered at the very suggestions when he'd come of age. He didn't feel anything like his hardened, stoic brothers and he felt like everyone could see it. He'd gone through the ceremony that officially anointed him as king but he hardly felt like it. He'd been running around learning how to do things like read and write in multiple languages and how to play some of the finer instruments they didn't enjoy in the palace, freeing Omega slaves, and learning the taste of good wine and fine flesh until it was second nature. He'd been learning everything the maesters hadn't forced down his gullet – Sparta's history, the royal lineage, how to use a spear, a shield, a pike.

 

Twenty years was too young to have a kingdom laid at your feet.

 

“The oracles speak of the Mad King across the sea,” the adviser tisked warningly. “The council has agreed a generous gift would be appropriate.”

 

This Dan knew of. “Haywood, isn't it? He just married. Their wedding announcement came the day of father's mourning feast. Something about a 'Flower Queen'?”

 

“Rose Queen,” the adviser corrected lightly, “And he seems to have a soft heart.”

 

Dan frowned thoughtfully. “ _He_?”

 

“An Omega boy, barely younger than yourself.” He didn't like the man's smug tone. “I believe a beautiful gift will win us the king's favor.”

 

Dan shook his head, trying to kick his mind back into focus, “Of course, yes. As the oracles command.”

 

“If I may be so blunt...”

 

He nodded tightly. _My lack of permission has not stopped you so far._

 

“Let the Gerousia handle it. They have experience with this kind of exchange. They've been handling royal politics and subtly far longer than you've been alive. They should be able to come up with a suitable gift.”

 

“Alright,” he agreed, eyes falling to the three black bands laced through his fingers. “Tell them to use caution. I believe the last news I heard in the city was a beheading in the courtyard.”

 

The adviser gave pause. “That's not so surprising.”

 

Dan drew the first band up his arm and fit it snugly along the heavy curve of his bicep. “The king beheaded the executioner for taking too long and then did the deed himself. Casual violence should always be surprising. Even here.”

  
“Yes, my king.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ryan didn't like him sitting in on the more serious counsel meetings. He said it was tedious and all that bloodthirsty talk wasn't meant for his Omegan ears. Ray liked to sit in on the days when their people came in to beg favors from the crown, sometimes on his own throne and sometimes on his king's lap. He spoke with their Master of Coin Kdin often enough that he knew the wealth the royal vaults held and he would try as much as he could to spread it evenly to those in need. It wasn't just the vast city that surrounded the castle where he now lived, there were seven more kingdoms of banner-men and lords to host as well as the farms and homes that surrounded those places. It was a difficult burden and Ray tried to shoulder what he could from his king to make the crown less heavy. Ryan had given him power by marrying him and the people trusted him, called his name on the streets. He'd vowed to protect and serve them, he would not abuse their trust.

 

But some of his truly selfish, favorite days were those where visiting diplomats and courtiers would try and gain the favor of the king. Ryan spoiled him, he truly did, but there was something thrilling and heady about complete strangers giving him gifts in an effort to try and please him. And in extension, his husband. His father had been paid well for his garden work but they were sill peasants. His cot had been hard and his gifts were extra helpings of food or new boots but never anything grand. His father poured every coin he earned into their farm. A day of planting sketch patterns of different colored daisies fed the cows and every time his ho tilled the dirt it was one more bag of feed for their chickens. Corn and small patches of wheat to turn into bread kept their bellies full.

 

Ray had never known anything else and he'd enjoyed his simple life – days spent grinding flour and feeding the animals, and then his father had let him work in the royal garden. Though his father joked that the chickens missed him, he knew that flowers were where he really shined. Bright enough to catch the king's attention, at least. So this new, almost ritualistic gift-giving made him a little giddy. He shared everything that was given with his father or his husband or the kitchen servants, anyone who could use it really.

 

Ray sat up a little straighter in his chair, hands folded in his lap. _Maybe I should get some Ladies in Waiting or Gentleman of the Bedchamber or whatever they call it. I could share these gifts with them._

 

Burnie (Lord Commander of the Kingsguard) stood at the bottom of he dais and to the right on the king's side, as he should. His new favorite, Joel, stood on the queen's right. The dark haired Alpha didn't dare look back at Ray, though, for [the threat](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1757769/chapters/4187928) Ryan had driven into him with every thrust of his cock still stayed with him.

 

Ryan was reclined in his throne, cheek on his fist, golden lashes falling low over his bored gaze. He let Geoff run the show, as usual, and simply waved at the presenters as they were queued up to approach the throne. His favorite knight was good at warning them ahead of time about his moods and he respected him for that. Ray, his lovely flower, greeted each one by name and inquired about ailing family members or destroyed property. Without fail, each presenter looked surprised and would fumble in their speech with the Omega beaming at them like they were the only person in the world. The representatives from the seven kingdoms very rarely changed and the queen was a quick study.

 

In the middle of Ray giving thanks to the Warden of the North for his gift of a pack of fierce hunting dogs, Ryan groaned in annoyance. “Dogs, chickens, rabbits – Gods' blood. If I see one more small creature in this palace I'll strangle it to death with my bare hands.”

 

The Warden was an old acquaintance and he only cocked a brow at the outburst. “My great and benevolent king...if you were to stop receiving such gifts, would not your kitchen suffer? Or do you plan on rattling around in the forest with all that finery for tiny woodland beasts?”

 

Ryan sighed loudly and looked down at the rings on his fingers, so often covered by the gloves his father had given him that still fit so well. His eyes flickered to the ornate collar around his queen's throat and the beautifully crafted silver crown that sat upon his brow. It was delicate and carved intricately into a fine, a single red gem peeking out from the furl of a metal blossom nearly hidden by all that dark hair. “I suppose you're right. What do you want?”

 

The Warden cleared his throat. “My king, I would like to request Harrenhal be added to the North. Since the title is barren and the plot is in disarray, my nephew would be-”

 

“Done,” Ryan commanded, chin falling back onto his fist. “It's yours, and his.”

 

Ray chuckled behind his hand before he tilted his chin up and let his voice ring clear through the long hall. “Let it be known that Harrenhal and all its lands and titles shall be property of the Lord Paramount of the North and who they see fit to bestow it upon. Sir, let the crown lend you the gold to revitalize the land. I expect the return profit from your nephew's hard work before the end of the year if the gods shall bless us with a mild winter. If he should come upon hardship, an extension can be discussed. Please see the Master of Coin before you depart. I'm sure he'll be generous.”

 

The Warden actually cracked a smile. “May I approach, sire?”

 

“If you must,” Ryan grumbled into his fist.

 

The Warden walked up the dais and knelt down before the smaller throne, so simple and well cushioned and perfectly fitting the Omega sitting upon it. He offered his heavily gloved hand and Ray took it politely. “My queen. The North, and all the Realm, are happy to have you by our king's side. May your reign be as sweet as your scent, and as bright as your smile.”

 

“Be calm, sir,” Ray laughed airily. “Kdin will not be _that_ generous."

 

With a final bow and a gruff _my king_ , the Warden left them.

 

“You're too kind,” Ryan stated without an ounce of malice.

 

“One of us has to be,” Ray tittered good-naturedly. “Harrenhal belongs in the North anyway, if not just from sheer proximity.”

  
“Look at you,” Ryan shot him a smirk, reaching out and patting his hand, “You almost sound like a true queen. No wonder everyone is in love with you.”

 

“I promise, husband, it's just you.” His voice grew more hushed. “They see me as a child bride sitting next to you. I have to do _something_ to prove them wrong, don't I?”

 

His eyes flashed dangerously. “You have to prove nothing to these people.”

 

“My lords?” Geoff's call was already exasperated. “May I introduce Prexinos of Sparta, from across the salt sea.”

 

“Prexinos,” Ray repeated in wonder, sitting further up on his seat in eager anticipation. “It sounds exotic.”

 

Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose. “By the Realm – what the hell is 'Sparta'?”

 

“It's like Dorne, where my father and his father came from,” Ray informed him in a way that didn't annoy him like Geoff or Burnie's insufferably correct tone. “Only there's more leather and less...clothes, I believe. All the sketches show them in loin clothes or singlets. This should be interesting.”

 

A spark of recognition showed on the king's face. “Is that the militarized little country we purchase all the spears from?”

 

“The one and only.”

 

The king sat up, interest finally caught. “And here I thought it'd be another boring day.”

 

 


	3. Daniel the Wolf King - Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Approach,” Ryan drew out the word as he eyed the noisy, cloaked 'present' that came in through the high double doors, “With your...burden.”

**As always, this belongs to laraloops and Pads, because I am just a tool to a universe we made up  
**   
**You should read this directly after the last chapter, the scene actually just continues**

 

* * *

 

The man that approached the dais was more clothed than that. He was draped in a richly colored chamys and had gold looped through his ears. This _Prexinos_ was golden skinned from a merciless sun and had limp brown hair without a single braid, fingers caught in jeweled rings of lower quality than the crown. His face was youthful but his smile was too wide.

 

“All hail the great King Haywood, and his Rose Queen.” The Spartan's voice was even and smooth like flat water, but there was something beneath it that unsettled the royal couple. “We ask for our safety and well being, and an audience with the rulers of this great land.”

 

“That is us,” Ryan mumbled to his queen, getting a quiet laugh. He wiped the humor off his face and slid back into his persona. “Every piece of you will return home, visitor. This I promise.”

 

“You're too kind.” The man dipped into a bow.

 

“Approach,” Ryan drew out the word as he eyed the noisy, cloaked 'present' that came in through the high double doors, “With your... _burden._ ”

 

Ray's always-eager smile started to fade as he saw the collars on the four young Omegas who were pulling along the heavy, shaded present. They were clad in chiton's that rode up their bare thighs, each more diverse than the last. Slaves. Omega slaves. It lit a fire in the Queen's belly to see them strain under the weight, thick ugly collars slapped across their throats like cattle, forms half starved as if they hadn't a bite to eat the two week trip it would have taken to arrive so far from home. There were raised, bloody welts across their arms and legs like they had misbehaved already today. There were a few other Spartans following them with loosely coiled stock whips in their hands and the stink of entitled Alpha around them.

 

“I come on behalf of my king and protector, head of all councils in Sparta. The new ruler in the tragic passing of his father and brothers – Daniel, Son of Iamos, the Wolf King.”

 

“Wolf. King.” Ray hissed the words out in a parody of how he'd tested the man's name, fingers tightening on the throne. His husband watched him with a growing concern. “What treasure does this _wolf_ send us?”

 

“A bit of his homeland,” Prexinos presented with a sharp clap. The shortest and thickest of the four, a young man with cinnamon curls and heavy splashes of freckles across his face and shoulders, dropped his rope to grab at the simple curtain. He peeked inside and somehow his already pale skin washed out, glancing at the royal couple with trepidation before he saw how the nearest master tightened his grip on his whip and lost that train of thought. The curtain was pulled off with a great _whoosh_ and a giant, gaudily gilded cage was revealed. The muffled noise before was the frantic cry of a thousand brightly colored song birds. They fluttered wildly behind the fine mesh that kept them trapped, rattling in an attempt at freedom.

 

Ryan hummed faintly, fingers drumming slowly on the blended mix of polished wood and sleek steel that made up his throne. He was mildly impressed but the terrified collared boys were starting to get to him. He'd always had a sweet spot for Omegas and these four looked ready to collapse. “Are these boys part of my gift?”

 

The Spartan bowed at the waist. “Of course, your majesty. The birds for your infamous garden and these slaves to tend to it.”

 

Ryan cringed at the title. That phrase in particular always irked him for reasons he wasn't sure of. It sounded almost sarcastic. “My queen tends to our gardens. We have no need of slaves.”

 

“I shall not take gifts back,” Prexinos stated breezily with a wide smile, brushing his hands together before holding them up. “Everything I have come with is for you, your majesty. Consider these Omegas an olive branch between our kingdoms to be used for labor, or house boys or jesters, or to add to your harem. Whatever you seem fit to assign them, I promise they can do. They are yours in all rights and ways now.”

 

“No!”

 

The outburst came from one of the two lanky boys, this one with wild hair and startling green eyes. He was a handsome kid in his own way but he had his hand to his mouth and tears on his face, the other wrapped around his middle as if he were sick. When he spoke his accent was strange and lilted in a way that was foreign to the Spartan's accent as well as their own. “You can't leave us. The king would never allow it! We shouldn't have been brought here in the first place! _Please_ , you're making a mistake!”

 

One of the Spartan's unfurled his whip and started to raise his hand to strike. The lanky boy dropped to his knees and bowed his head, a choked sob echoing through the otherwise quiet room. The Omega with the red curls knelt next to him and threw his arms around the scrawnier boy in a protective gesture that surprised the king. Though the real shock came from Ray sliding off his throne and barking out an order to stop. It was a jagged word and it practically ripped through the room. He'd never heard his sweet rose sound like that, nor had he ever seen his face schooled into such a cold expression. Usually he could read his Omega like a book but he was like a walking statue down the steps.

 

“Every blow that lands on these Omegas you shall feel thrice over, sir.”

 

Prexinos looked to Ryan but the king gave away nothing. The other two Omegas fell to their knees, both terrified they would be beaten for the defiance of the others.

 

Ray started to slowly circle the cage, fingertips skimming over the mesh with an icy thoughtfulness. “This is a joke. It has to be.”

 

He looked closely at their tiny faces and the patchiness of their plumage, listening close to their high cries for nourishment. They were scared and traumatized, anyone could see that. It looked like a carpet lined the bottom of the cage but to his horror it was a blanket of limp little bodies. Some looked skinny but most had opaque eyes and crooked wings, their weak hearts having given out from the choppy boat ride across the sea. They were delicate creatures and this was cruel to do to an animal that didn't know what was happening or why.

 

“I do not particularly understand or enjoy this type of humor,” Ray mused tartly, slowly passing by the more exotic of the Omegas. He had pale, full lips and hair blacker than he'd ever seen. It seemed to swallow up the light. He had a defiant shine to his eyes but he had a stiffness in his shoulders that showed he was ready to be hit. “What's your name?”

 

“Monty.” He had a hint of an accent but he sounded as if he had trained it into a neutral tone.

 

Ray watched the birds flutter about as he walked to the other side of the cage where a simple, brunette Omega knelt. He had neatly trimmed hair and tan cheekbones with laugh lines that promised a lovely smile. “And you?”

 

The Omega was probably close to his age but he looked so much like a child as he shook his head, too afraid to say anything. Ray cooed softly and touched the boy's hair, tucking a bit behind his ear. “It's alright. I'm an Omega too. Can't you tell?”

 

He offered the boy his wrist and he hesitantly took it, nose just barely touching the paler, vulnerable skin.

 

“Caleb!” Monty hissed between his teeth.

 

“You smell amazing,” Caleb muttered, dimples starting to pop at the corners of his mouth.

 

Ray stroked through his hair one last time before continuing on, his kind look melting into white-hot seething as he passed the Spartan that had almost taken a whip to the scared Omega. There was a slight flex of the Alpha man's knuckles and he narrowed his eyes at him. “Would you really dare?”

 

The Alpha bowed his head as he passed but there was a sharp tapping of the king's rings upon his throne like a warning.

 

“And you two,” Ray's heart lurched at the sight of the curly haired boy still holding on to the other, stroking his back and keeping him covered with body as much as possible like there was a whip to come down at any moment. “Who are you?”

 

The Omega tucked his friend's head further under his chin, shielding him. “Do you really care?”

 

“Beyond measure,” Ray answered honestly.

 

Two sets of eyes blinked wetly up at hime, green and hazel, pale skin against tan. They looked as if they fit together like missing puzzle pieces. Even their welts almost matched. “I'm Michael. This is Gavin.”

 

“Michael and Gavin,” Ray echoed, the names burning themselves across his tongue. There was a rage unlike that of which he'd ever known welling within his chest. He took one last long look at the poor birds before he stepped in front of the stunned Prexinos. “This comes from the Wolf King himself?”

 

The contempt in the queen's voice made the diplomat flinch. It was harsh to hear such sharp words from a sweet little Omega mouth. “Yes, your majesty. Of course. I would not be here otherwise.”

 

Ray took a long, slow breath that made both Burnie and Joel tense up at their stations. The rest of the Kingsguard, dressed in the reds and greens of the Haywood house, saw their leader's movement and stood at attention. Spears and shields clanged to attention and made the Spartans tighten their holds on their whips. A dark cloud settled over the long hall and Ryan sat up in his throne, mouth pulled into a frown and brow knit up in determination.

 

“King Daniel, Son of Iamos.” Ray's lips sneered at how the title sounded out loud. “His present and your pains, we thank you for. Such a long trip for such fragile gifts. Geoff.” The knight came up, sleepy eyes clearly unamused by the Omegan spectacle. “Open the doors. Release the Wolf King's gift to the air. Their lives shall be up to them now.”

 

Geoff gave a sharp whistle and two of his men moved to take the heavy ropes. There were several sets of heavily barred doors along the length of the hall and the nearest set were unlocked and thrown open. Ray never once looked away from the diplomat as the ugly cage was rolled across the floor and out onto the balcony the nearly-hidden doors had revealed. Geoff flicked the lock on the gaudy thing himself and a couple hundred little blurs of color took off into the late afternoon. “You want me to have Joel scatter some food for them, your _majesty_?”

 

Ray nodded and the named soldier looked to Burnie for the nod of permission before he started down the hall with the kitchen in mind to find some bird seed.

 

Prexinos started to laugh, a pretentious sort of nervous sound. “What is this?”

 

The queen's lips twitched in an attempt at a smile “I am just enjoying my gift.”

 

Prexinos seemed to truly think it all a joke. “And these boys? Will you just _release_ them as well?”

 

“Yes.” Ray's smile came back but it was tight and didn't reach his eyes. “These slaves – these slaves of slaves – I will release them. Monty, Caleb – Michael and Gavin – remove your collars. No one shall stop you for you are free men here in Haywood Castle and any land the light of my husband's reign touches. I swear to you that any who do you harm shall be struck down, here and now.”

 

The Omegas looked at one another and then at the Spartans who had taken them from their beds and dragged them onto the ship. The threat of the whip was starting to look meek in the face of the queen's quiet wrath. Hesitant fingers started to work on the crude lacing along the backs of their necks. Ryan, still and contemplative as he was on his throne, noticed the one called Michael was unlacing his upset little friend's collar first without even touching his own.

 

“They are mine now, and I shall find fitting occupations for them in my household.” The ruby in the queen's crown caught the light brilliantly as he raised his chin. “I don't know how Sparta treats her people, but here these boys will be cared for and protected. And if the gods shall have it so they will never see that barren, _horrid_ kingdom you call home ever again. If I could take all of your citizens and give them safe harbor here, I would, but I shall have to settle for this gift.”

 

Ryan's lips pursed. He couldn't deny Ray was beautiful with the beginning flush of rage but he would tear these men a part if one of their whips even _hinted_ at touching him. “Temper, wife. Think of the strain on your heart.”

 

“How dare you?” Prexinos looked between the royal couple with true disdain and hurt ego. “You would let your _queen_ handle your political allies so poorly? This is disgraceful, your majesty. This is rude, war-mongering talk.”

 

“Watch your tongue, Spartan,” Burnie's hand fell on his sword. “You are speaking to our beloved queen. I will barely have to breathe the order before my men put you in chains.”

 

Prexinos sputtered but the king hummed his assent. “Head his warning, Spartan. I have had men slaughtered for less than an ill word to my wife.”

 

The careless, smug expression on Ray's face told it to be true.

 

“This is an olive branch between our countries,” the diplomat explained in vain.

 

“This was an insult of the highest degree,” Ray countered, control threatening to slip.

 

“I will not be spoken to like this by a...a...an Omega _child_!” Prexinos blustered, cheeks going ruddy. “I am Prexinos of the House of Adrastos, second cousin to the late Queen Aster, mother of our great King Daniel. I will not be treated this way!”

 

“Great king,” Ray mocked, a snarl finally curling his shapely mouth, “I would see your _great king_ 's head on a spike for this outrage!”

 

Ryan sat back in his throne, eyes widening slightly as pure heat shot down into his groin. His sweet little flower bloomed so wonderfully in his indignation. The violence in his voice was like music to the king's ears. He felt a dangerously delicious slither of arousal through his gut when he realized he would do anything for his queen – he would strike down this Daniel or set fire to this very courtroom if it meant pleasing him. Ray so very rarely asked him for anything. One head on a spike would make no difference. This bloodthirstiness, this edge to his queen, only fueled his love and the pride in his decision to chose the tiny flower of the royal garden as his mate. But the threat of war was very real and the concerned look Geoff shot him made him speak up.

 

“My darling,” he cooed, a nice flutter of fear going off in his heart when his queen whipped around to show the infuriated blaze of his eyes and the scowling twist of his lips. “I understand this upsets you. My heart feels for these sweet boys and the fallen birds. Surely this Puppy Prince's poor choice hasn't touched you this deeply?”

 

“Look what he did!” Ray bellowed, voice ringing out as he gestured sharply at the wide-eyed Omegas who were giving off waves of fear and confusion. “This _gift_ tells you everything you need to know about this king across the sea. Whether he is cruel or stupid I cannot tell but he thinks he can woo you with death and slavery, husband. He mocks me by having that monstrosity carried by people of _my_ status.”

 

The smirk that came across his face was humorless and razor-thin, not a speck of teeth showing. “It seems to me that he might as well have painted 'Mad King' across it in blood.”

 

The title made a dozen breaths hitch in unison, worried eyes flying to the king. Ryan's jaw went tight and knuckles were bloodless clenched around the arms of his throne.

 

“This is no gift, husband. It's a challenge. His carelessness murdered those birds and collared Omegas for your amusement.” Ray's hand reached up and touched his own collar with it's gold trim and fur-lined inside. “I, for one, am not amused.”

 

There was almost a visual change in their king as he rose to the bait. Canines flashed, fingers clawing in the air for a moment before they balled into fists. He rose with all the fluid grace of a predator. His cloak was thrown off and the rich fabric fluttered over his wide throne. The fluid branches of his crown looked now more like golden, sharpened horns ready to impale in show of his power. The tendons in his neck pulled taut and his chest seemed to swell, the intimidating curves of muscle beneath his royal attire making themselves known. What was once bored indulgence morphed into clear realization, a veil of red falling over the king's eyes.

 

Burnie and Geoff exchanged a look that said a thousand words that neither would ever voice. The king would not be swayed now with the queen's words swirling so wildly within him. Nothing pacified nor set Ryan off quite like his beloved. Ray was usually insightful and well meaning but the collaring of the Omegas had sparked something off. Suddenly the whispers of _Mad Queen_ did not seem so foolish.

 

“If this Wolf King truly believes this all some sort of sick joke, then he shall find great humor in my answer,” Ryan growled out, lips curled in a dark grin that made even the half dozen war-hardened Spartans cringe. “I shall take these Omegas into my court and we will find respectable positions for them. They will not return so long as my house stands.” Gavin's whimper was quickly muffled by Michael's palm. “But you may keep the ship you came on and the men who manned it. _This_ , I will allow.”

 

Prexinos rubbed a hand across his throat. “You are generous, King Haywood.”

 

“I will allow it so that you may return,” Ryan continued, the growl in his throat making the words sharp. “In exchange for this cage we shall deliver onto King Dan buckets of our thanks. Though you shall fit easily, sir, your Alpha attendants will have to be ground down quite a bit. My men will have to scour the city for pails large enough to fit all that arrogance.”

 

“Your – Your majesty?” Prexinos wavered.

 

“Don't sound so scared, my friend,” the king snickered. “You're going home. Is that not what you had me promise? I do not break my vows. Every _single_ _piece_ of you will return to Sparta. You should thank me. The only question left here is – do you care about every _drop_ of you returning as well?”

 

“Barrels should do nicely,” Ray commented. “Burns.”

 

The Lord Commander stepped up to his side. “Yes, my queen.”

 

“Fetch...one, two, three,” Ray pointedly counted off every Alpha that stood around the cage, all wide eyed but getting closed in on by the rest of the guard. “ _Six_ lined barrels. Scour their ship. Every man on board who holds a whip shall be liquefied and shred under the king's orders. Free those you find on board with collars and send them to me. Leave the rest, as the king said, to take their new _burden_ home. Tell them to stay on the ship but give them good food for the night, and in the morning they shall have enough supplies for the return trip. Sparta will not accuse us of taking her sons this day. She shall have them back with our thanks for opening our eyes to her careless king.”

 

The royal guard quickly dispatched the Spartans. The race was known for being extraordinary fighters on the battlefield but the courtroom was not big enough for their style. They were quickly outnumbered and one by one put in chains.

 

“Stay,” Geoff ordered gently as Burnie made to go with the guards taking away the Spartans. “Your place is here with the king. Let me take care of the dirty work.”

 

Burnie glanced at the royal couple before leaning in close. “Don't let Joel near it. He doesn't need to see that.”

 

The shorter Alpha raised a brow but nodded. “Whatever you say. I'm taking Arryn though. That girl has been begging to sink her knife in someone for weeks. She's practically been moping with how calm the king's been lately.”

 

“Take whoever you need.”

 

Ray urged the Omega's to stand, dragging them up by their shoulders and arms as gently as he could. He waved a bearded knight over and introduced them. “This is Adam. I trust him with my life. He's a good man and he's going to take you somewhere to rest. I will come visit you once you're settled and we can talk. Is that alright?”

 

Caleb immediately nodded and the others slowly agreed.

 

Ray laid a hand on the Beta's arm and leaned up to speak in his ear. “Take them to the largest guest chamber, the one with three beds. Have one of the maids bring fresh linen and pillows, and tell Jack to come up and find out what foods they like. Spare no expense. These Omegas are under the crown's care now and I want them well taken care of.”

 

“Yes, my queen.”

 

“Thank you,” Ray breathed in relief.

 

Ray watched them leave, Gavin's pleading gaze sticking to him like he had questions. He would soothe their fears and help them carve out their new lives later on. There was still work to be done. As the soldiers started to wheel the horrible cage out to later be melted down, Ray climbed back up the dais and sat down upon his cushioned throne. His husband's heated gaze was on him but he didn't falter. If Ryan was angry with him they would speak later.

 

“Seems a bit empty,” Ray thought out loud. “Bring Kara.”

 

The order flew swiftly and by the time the mess was cleared from the court the woman had showed up. She was in full, slim-fitting silver armor with the Haywood crest pressed upon the chest of it. She was second in their most trusted of knights. She had a stern expression and her beauty was only one of her deadly weapons. She could wield a broad sword like no one he'd ever seen.

 

“Dame Kara,” he greeted kindly.

 

“My queen,” she bowed at the waist and the normalcy of it helped return his good spirits.

 

“Would you take over the requests while Sir Ramsay is busy?”

 

“I'd be honored.”

 

He waved her off. “Good. Go with my thanks.”

 

She disappeared down the hall through the double doors to where there was no doubt a long line of impatient, horrified courtiers and diplomats still waiting their turn.

  
The king made himself comfortable upon the furs of his throne. “You wish to continue?”

 

“Yes,” Ray replied curtly. “There is nothing to be done now. They've been through enough without some terrifying witch of a queen trying to tell them what to do. A moment to breathe will not go unappreciated.”

 

Ryan's brows shot up. “Darling...”

 

“Yes, husband?” the title was snapped out impatiently.

 

Ryan reached out and laid his hand over the younger man's, and when Ray looked up the eyes that had been so madly blazing a few minutes ago were soft around the edges and almost sad. “How did you manage to grow up without me noticing?”

 

Ray looked down at their hands, unsure what to say.

 

“My child bride is a queen this day,” Ryan lamented under his breath, heart so swollen with affection it almost hurt. “And every day after.” He reluctantly let go of his love's fingers and settled more firmly into his throne. “The rest of the requests shall be handled by my Omega.”

 

Spears snapped against the floor and stoic faces belted out, “All Hail the Rose Queen!”

 

“All Hail,” he murmured, glancing over at his blushing boy. “Tell the others that if they are not ready to present to the Queen's Court then they may leave. And kindly inform them that they shouldn't bother coming back.”

 

The order was sent with a soldier through the double doors. There was a few moments where the chatter from the presenters could be heard but it quickly died down once the ultimatum was given. Ryan waved his hand pointedly and his queen's ears grew red but he did square his shoulders and slip on that same kind of persona his husband did while in court.

 

“Bring in the next one.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

Dan knew something was off the moment he entered his personal chambers. For one, his two favorite Omegas were gone. The Northern boy the slave traders in Athens had captured from across to see and the pale one with the rare colored hair. The beds he kept for them in his outer chamber were still made and there were no candles lit, no fire going, no spilled water or knocked over chair like was usually left behind when they started wrestling and chased each other through the castle. It was strange, and when he went to his room it only got stranger.

 

Gavin would always leave spiced wine for him by the table. He'd grown accustomed to getting to sleep through inebriation since his father died and the Omega knew strong liquor put him to bed faster than anything else. The boys had their own room but they usually preferred to stay where they could be alone at arm's reach of their king. He'd like to think they had become to be friends.

 

First Caleb's absence when he'd gone to the apothecary, then Monty's at his morning prayer at the shrine to their war god, and now his boys were missing. He liked to keep track of the Omegas he'd freed and given positions to. While some of them chose to stay at the castle. others would leave to make their own way out in the world. He gave them coin and food, a horse, a weapon, and always sent them off himself with recommendations. Those four had seemed happy to stay in his kingdom and had never said otherwise.

 

Surely they wouldn't leave him all at once?

 

It felt so empty and without Gavin and Michael's quiet chatter leaking in through the cracks in the door. When they didn't stay in their own room they would sleep in the outer chamber and he would slowly drink himself to sleep to the sound of the couple. Or on the terrible nights they would crawl in bed with him. The two smelled wonderful together and they trusted him like no one else did. They called him _my king_ and meant it.

 

If they had truly left to start their own lives, he was happy for them. But he wished they had said goodbye.

 

o0o0o0o

 

The night after the terrible Sparta-incident in court, the royal couple made the bricks quiver. The outer chambers were cleared their usual guards and Joel was put at the door because he was the only one known to have listened to their cries of passion without being punished in the morning by their overly jealous king.

 

“Ah!” Ray cried to the heavens, head thrown back and fingers fanned over his husband's chest. They were both slick with sweat, lungs heaving and bodies grinding against one another. Ray had already come once and the pearly drops of evidence were spread across both men and the bedspread. He couldn't keep his mouth shut as he rode Ryan's thick cock with the ease of an hour of foreplay, oil, and his own body's eagerness. The king's hips surged up between his shaking thighs, canines catching the candlelight and glinting menacingly as he fucked the sweet boy straddling him.

 

Tonight wasn't the roughest they'd ever been but it was beyond fiery and it helped release their tension of the day. Heavy Alpha groans and growls of pleasure were mixed in with the silky coos and chitters of an Omega getting taken _just right._

 

Usually Ray would be reduced down to watery moans and quivering limbs but they had wrestled around the bed tonight, switching positions the moment the other would let their guard down. This was the second time Ray had managed to get on top and it was hard earned. An Alpha king's cock inside you was no laughing matter and to hook his legs like that around his love's waist and _flip_ ...it had been a miracle. But he controlled the pace this way and it was so much _deeper_. He could feel every inch and by the way his husband was moaning his praises, it was good for him too.

 

Ray wasn't some simpering whore like some of the courtiers he hadn't managed to win over yet thought of him. He did this with his king because he loved him and he loved the act. Bonding with him in the rawest, most animalistic and primal way while burying their scent deep within each other. It was satisfying and Ryan never failed to take care of him. He'd been so shy and hesitant about it at first but his king showed him all the ways a bed could be used and he'd never looked back. There was no shame in coupling, even when it was out of the norm.

 

Ray reared up at the last second and grinned in triumph when his husband practically _shuddered_ beneath him, jaw falling open in a base groan that the Omega could feel all through his form. Ryan looked amazing when he came. Seeing his king so unguarded, naked and rippling and straining between his thighs, was an intoxicating and he would never give it up for anything. He always acted like a content, lounging jungle cat afterward but that particular joy was robbed from him when his king realized what he had done.

 

“Ryan,” Ray pleaded, hoping for mercy as the older man sat up and wrapped a hand around his throat. The Omega was thrown onto the bed, the man's cock still wet and forcing his body open. But not at the full depth. The king ground his knot against the sensitive rim of his hole.

 

“You would dare deny me my right to knot my Omega?” Ryan bit out, thumb pressing on the boy's windpipe as he rubbed the hard, swollen flesh against him almost threateningly.

 

“Please, Ryan,” Ray panted hotly, cock still throbbing and dribbling between the press of their stomachs. “I-I have to go see to the Omegas. If you would've knotted me I wouldn't have been able to get out of bed. You know how much I love laying with you after. And – _ah_ – they d-deserve my comfort after what they've been through.”

 

Ryan's faint irritation melted away under his queen's pretty begging. Instead of pinning him flat to the bed and biting him in submission as he would've done, he hooked one of the boy's legs over his shoulder and started to leisurely thrust his still-hard cock within his queen's grasping hole. Ray whimpered brokenly and let the Alpha lightly chew on his neck, cock smearing between them to create an even bigger mess. He only had a to rut up a handful of times before he was clenching around his king's hard flesh and spilling along their bellies.

 

Ray let himself float a little in a gratified haze, murmuring nonsense and wrapping his arms and legs around his mate's body. Ryan snuffled into his hair, dropping down to brace his elbows on either side of the Omega's head. The boy was nuzzled and the sweat was licked from his pulse, lips attaching soon after and suckling a dark mark there.

 

“I love you beyond all others, my king,” Ray whispered to him, the heavy love-soaked words were still strange on his tongue even after two full seasons of sharing a bed. He'd been too hesitant to say them before they married, too afraid his king would find him too clingy. But Ryan had practically melted the day he'd finally said them, dropping to his knees in front of his queen and kissing the palm of his hand before echoing the sentiment. “Forgive me.”

 

“Of course,” Ryan answered quickly, refusing to let his Omega think for one moment he was truly upset. “From virgin child bride to tricksy vixen. I'll have to watch out for you, beloved.”

 

“I'm wiley. And I was hardly a virgin before we married, you made sure of that. I distinctively recall being thrust into the potting soil I'd just laid down for the white roses and made to moan into the garden like a harlot,” Ray laughed, pushing at the man's shoulders. “Move, you great beast.”

 

Ryan put upon a hurt face as he rolled halfway off his queen, frowning when the boy started to get out of bed. He snagged him by the crook of his elbow and dragged him back against his chest, leaving whiskered kisses across his nape and at the knob of his spine. “Where do you think you're going?”

 

“I told you,” Ray whined playfully, the sensation both tickling and arousing.

 

“You undermined me in court and now you want to leave my bed?” Ryan nipped at the base of the Omega's hairline and made him gasp. “What happened to the obedient little flower I woke up to this morning? You've grown _thorns_ , my love.”

 

He managed to squirm out of his husband's grip and his feet hit the floor with a small sound of victory. “I learned from the best, didn't I?”

 

Ryan propped his chin up on his fist, resting on his side and watching his queen go over to the water basin. Sweat, seed, slick, and oil were wiped away with a tuneless hum and the aid of a damp cloth. The Alpha in him was seething at his mate removing his claim and scent but the rest of him knew the boy was just trying to make himself as non-intimidating as possible. The Omegas they had put in the guest chambers were probably terrified and Ray was no stranger to that fear. And Ray only had so many options for friendship being the queen. He wouldn't let his little love get taken advantage of so he tried to shield him as much as possible but by isolating him had backfired with wandering eyes like Joel's. Ray loved people, he loved helping them, so maybe this whole debacle could come to something good.

 

“What do you plan on doing with them, Ray?”

 

The use of his name almost startled the Omega, cloth pausing on his stomach. “I want to give them proper positions in the castle, maybe in town. I don't know what kind of hardships they've been through. Mostly I want them to know they can trust me and that I won't harm them, despite what I did in court today.”

 

Ryan nodded but the other didn't see it.

 

“Speaking of that.” Ray swallowed heavily, rinsing the cloth in the basin. “What I did, speaking out of turn and being demanding in front of your court...I should apologize. I don't know what came over me. I saw their faces and I myself within them and I couldn't bear it. It could have easily been me if my father hadn't been who he was. Dorne children are so often stolen and those boys...the birds...the arrogance of it. Slavery may be common across the sea but I couldn't have it in your kingdom.”

 

“Our court, our kingdom,” Ryan corrected, fingers sliding the silk sheet over his waist as the coolness of the room crept into him.

 

The Omega turned, eyes round and mouth open.

 

“You're my queen, Ray. I didn't chose one of those cotton-headed, flouncy messes that were practically thrust upon me by their fathers. I chose you. For your head and your heart. There was something inside you that could never truly be tamed and you know I like a challenge.” Ryan sprawled onto his back and stretched out, flopping into the pillows and reclining. “I will stand beside your decisions because I know, inherently, they are right. If I have to storm that Wolf King's castle myself and tear his head from his shoulders, I will...for you. Because he has offended the heart of my kingdom.”

 

“I-I am not...Ryan, please, don't say such sweet things.” Ray rubbed knuckles over his warm cheeks. “Not if you don't mean them.”

 

“I say nothing I don't mean. If nothing else, you know this about me. Just as I know you would rather be in my lap coaxing me into another round with your hot little mouth instead of fixing a wrong in the world.” Ryan stretched his legs out and chuckled filthily at the way his queen eyed the soft bulge in the sheets. “I have wondered why you haven't taken a little court of your own. I have my men, almost all Alphas, so wouldn't it be fitting to have a little Omega court to follow you around?”

 

“Some friends would not go amiss,” Ray sighed, slipping on some simple dark clothes. They weren't anywhere near the finery of his royal garb and they would put the boys at ease.

 

“At least keep the couple.”

 

“The couple?”

 

“The sad one, and his pretty red headed friend,” Ryan remarked. “They're together. Couldn't you tell?”

 

“I supposed I was too busy losing my mind,” Ray jested, trying to think back on the two. “I wouldn't want to separate them if they don't want it.”

 

The king slumped further down in his seat. “We'll bring them all four to court tomorrow and the six of us will discuss what their skills are and where they shall go. I'm sure together we can come up with something. Put them at ease tonight and then come back to bed.”

 

He tucked the tunic into his pants. “Is that a royal decree?”

 

“Only if you keep me waiting.” Ryan's arms stretched high above his head, body undulating like a cat. He ran his fingers through his damp, golden hair and Ray was struck by just how handsome his husband was. “Tell Kerry to bring me the messages that arrived today and some strong wine. I swore to Gus that I would actually read them and my father always said it was unwise to displease your steward.”

 

“I shall.”

 

After giving his husband a kiss on the cheek, he left.

 

o0o

 

Adam was guarding the door along with an Alpha soldier he'd never met. “Who is this?”

 

“This is Ramsay Bolton. He's new but he's loyal, my queen,” Adam vouched. “He's the bastard of one of our oldest bannermen.”

 

“I don't like how casually that phrase is thrown around,” Ray tisked before he held out his hand. “Sir Bolton.”

 

“My queen,” the blue eyed boy, probably not much older than himself, took his fingers with a light touch and bowed over them. “I-I'm not a knight. Net yet, at least, Your Grace. One day I hope for the honor.”

 

“Continue to guard my Omegas well and we'll see about that.”

  
Adam gave the queen a curious look at the word _my_ but they let the boy pass with bowed heads. This particular room was usually reserved for small broods of noble children when their parents visited. It had the mix of royal colors – red, green, silver – but all in lighter shades than would've been usually used. Two of the torch lamps over lit and it seemed that Adam had started up a good fire behind the gate of the hearth. They all were wearing fresh clothes that were more suited to the style of kingdom and they now looked like any other Omega that could wander through the castle.

 

Caleb was at the table nibbling away at the plate of bread and cheese left, a stack of empty plates in the corner indicated that the rest had already been packed away. There were two empty pitchers of water and the third was halfway gone, the slimmer bottle of wine polished off. The Omega looked up when Ray entered and quickly put down the bread but the queen raised a hand and shook his head. “Please, eat your fill. If you're still hungry I can have them bring more.”

 

Caleb shook his head, widened eyes reminding Ray of the cornflowers he had growing out in the garden. “N-No thank you.”

 

The lump of covers on the far bed shifted around lovely almond shaped eyes peered over the top along with a mess of that light-encompassing hair. Monty didn't say anything but he didn't look threatened or defiant anymore. Just tired.

 

The couple (according to Ryan) were curled up on the thick pallet of furs in front of the fire. Michael, who was spooned up behind his friend and stroking his hair, started growling when the queen entered. He dragged Gavin in closer and his full, coral colored lips drew back as if to expose canines like an Alpha would. The scrawnier Omega put a hand on his friend's chest and cooed his name in that strange accent as he tried to sit up. “Don't, Michael, please. They'll kill us if you hurt him.”

 

Ray held out his hands in surrender. “I come here in peace, my friends. I wanted to make sure you found everything to your liking.”

 

Caleb nodded eagerly. “Everything's really soft and it smells really good here. Though I think that's you and the king and not the incense.”

 

“You little fucking boot-licker,” Michael spat.

 

“Thank you, Caleb,” Ray sat on the edge one of the empty beds, his infinite well of patience helping him not for the first time since he became queen. “If you have any questions for me, I'll gladly answer them.”

 

“I have some questions.” Michael stood up, batting the other Omega's hands away so he could puff out his chest and scowl. “Like why don't you send us the fuck home?”

 

“I can't do that with a clear conscious.”

 

“Fuck your conscious.”

 

“Michael!” Gavin shot up and wrapped his hands around the other's arm. “I want to go home too but he's not bad. They would've whipped us bloody from me mouthing off. He saved us.”

 

“Anyone would've done the same,” Ray assured them, “And if I honestly thought you were safe to return I would give you a ship but that's not the case.”

 

Gavin made sure Michael would stay in place before he walked over and dropped to his knees in front of the queen. His head bowed and his hands folded submissively in front of him. “Your Grace, please...my king, Dan – Daniel – is a good man. I know it looks bloody awful but he wouldn't have done this to us.”

 

Ray laid a hand on his shoulder and looked over at the boy's mate, the clench of his jaw and the concern written all over his face showed that these two particular Omegas really did care for one another. “Do you believe that?”

 

“Dan, our _true_ king,” Michael emphasized, “Wouldn't have sent us to some insane pair of monarchs that  _liquefy_  people.”

 

Ray colored up but he didn't falter. “I know it seems harsh but I will _not_ tolerate Omegan slavery and King Haywood, my true king and Alpha, won't let anyone insult me and get away with it. He will show very little weakness and if he had allowed them to live, it would've sent a message to all seven kingdoms that anyone can walk in and do whatever they please. A small kingdom like Sparta from so far away parading dead animals and collared boys through our palace...he would lose his crown before the week was over. I don't expect you to understand politics, that's a talk for another day, but I must ask that you trust me with this.”

 

Gavin was practically shuddering in front of him. “Please send us back.”

 

Ray felt his heart sink. “I can't, Gavin. As far as I know, your king gave you as a gift to my husband. Anyone worth their salt would know how offensive this 'olive branch' would be to us so I can't help but believe it was all on purpose. Our answer may or may not spark war.”

 

A whimper came from across the room and when he looked he saw that Caleb had his head in his hands.

 

“But we'll talk about all this tomorrow,” Ray promised, squeezing the Omega's shoulder. “We'll figure where to go from here.” He could see the exhaustion on all their faces and he gave in. “And if it will set you at ease, I shall write a letter to King Daniel explaining that we have accepted you as part of our house and that we received his 'gift' in it's entirity. I shall name you, individually.”

 

Gavin's head popped up and the pure, unadulterated hope in his pretty eyes broke down the rest of his defenses. “I'll inform him that he is welcome to journey here and plead his case. And if I like what he has to say, then he may return safely with all of you. With my blessing and my personal promise that no harm will come to you.”

 

Michael was ready to make a smart remark about how the king had promised the Spartan diplomat the same thing but his tongue tied up when his fellow Omega mate jumped up into the queen's lap and trapped him in a hug. Ray sputtered at the sudden embrace and teetered on the edge of the bed for a second before regaining his balance. Gavin's chittering was almost bird-like and his nose rubbed through his hair and over his ear. He spilled an endless stream of gratitude and promised that he would see the truth once he spoke to Dan.

 

Gavin pulled back and smiled brightly at him, happy to be perched in his lap though the younger Omega was kind of thrown off kilter. “Thank you, Queen Haywood.”

 

“Ray,” he squeaked. “You can just call me...Ray, while we're alone.”

 

“Like a ray of sunshine!” Gavin's laugh was tinkling, a complete turn around from his attitude just a minute ago.

 

“Yes, I suppose so.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

Dan's hands were shaking, the scroll rattling loudly in the round room that served as the courtroom of his father and his father before him and back ten generations. The divinely chosen blood that flowed through his veins had gone cold, his skin clammy. His knees were like liquid and he had to sit down on the throne in the very middle of the room, the polished ebony sticking to his flesh. It was uncomfortable and low, a simple piece that had served as the Spartan throne for as long as there had been picks to carve it with. He was probably the first king to sit upon it and be this scared for his neck. He liked to believe himself a warrior. He had been in everything from bar fights to the last war that had taken Iamos II, though he had been more the relief than a frontman. He'd been one of many in a phalanx that had wiped out half of the barbarians' flanks.

 

But this news struck him hard and deep.

 

The ship that had been sent to deliver the council's gift to Haywood had arrived with six barrels full of finely fileted rotted flesh and congealed blood. Six Alphas had been killed, shredded, and poured into lined wooden barrels. It was severe even for a Spartan's stomach. On that ship had been a box printed with the Haywood family crest, a shield with crossed daggers within its heart and behind it a strong bloom of antlers that looked almost sharp enough to be horns or talons. But within it had been this scroll with a different seal. Within this shield was an artistic rendering of a simpilized rose bush with thorny vines wrapping around the border and in the middle they were overtaking a dagger that looked similar to the blades on the Haywood crest. On the parchment was the delicate, careful writing of not Haywood but his queen. The wording was sweet around the edges but the meaning was stern and sure.

 

His brothers personal advisers stood before him, watching closely, about ten in all. Some looked pale but most had on a stoic mask.

 

“According to this,” Dan finally spoke once he was sure his voice wouldn't crack, “I sent King James Ryan Haywood, and his _Omega_ queen, a gift of songbirds...and slaves. Now tell me...why would I send my boys, which I myself saved from captivity, across the sea in collars to the Seven Kingdoms which have – since the reign of Haywood's father – been enforcing a strict no-tolerance policy on forced Omega servitude?”

 

“The council claims complete ignorance,” the oldest of the advisers stated firmly. “They have apparently been slipping on current policy in the Realm. They wish to plead their case.”

 

“It is not _them_ who must plead _their_ case,” Dan was trying so hard not to roar but he kept it under wraps, but just barely. “Under the unwavering mercy of their queen, who I'm sure is ready to take my head for my horrid mocking of his status, I shall be allowed a visit to explain what I've done. I'm expected before the season changes there. What I've done.” The last phrase was repeated in disbelief. “He named the four Omegas the council sent. Among them are my cup-bearer and the only one within the city gates that I trust to repair my armor. I have lost a great deal, and so has my household. The council will pay for this.”

 

“You would punish old men for a blunder with a kingdom that doesn't know we exist?”

 

“I would hack their heads off myself for trying to start a war and sending my Omegas across the sea!” Dan bellowed, getting to his feet with a growl building in his throat. “A place I must now go to keep Sparta from being slowly crushed under the weight of a land that is ten times larger than our own.”

 

A chorus of protests came from the advisers and he raised a hand to silence them.

 

“No, I won't hear it,” Dan declared. “If there is a chance I can save our hides and bring my boys back, I will. They are as innocent as the citizens of my kingdom. And I will go alone.”

 

“My lord, my king,” an adviser pleaded, utterly devastated by the news. “To leave your city alone without heirs, without a mate, or brothers...it's foolish.”

Dan scoffed harshly. “No more foolish than that of the council. I shall go alone.”

 

There was another round of squawking. "We should discuss the oracles!"

 

That nearly broke him.

 

“Silence!” his bellow shut them up quick. “Am I not king?”

 

“Of course, my liege.”

 

“Then I shall go alone if only because I cannot trust who I have would have taken with me,” Dan confessed.

 

“Not us, sire?” one of his father's favorites asked. “Not your generals or your soldiers?”

 

“I will speak to the council tomorrow, I shall temporarily leave them in charge,” the words were sour in his mouth and he sneered. “I will save us from war, and when I return there will be some changes to be made. Starting with them. Now leave me.”

 

They trickled out with obvious reluctance and once he was alone he collapsed onto his throne, the scroll falling to the floor and rolling in on itself. Dan cradled his head between his hands and clenched his eyes shut, fighting off the bounding terror and rage that thumped through his head and into his jaw. Caleb, Monty...Michael and Gavin...they were gone. He could follow them but they were out of reach and it was upsetting. Especially Gavin with his big heart and sensitive nature. If he was with Michael he could probably handle whatever those bastards across the sea threw at him, but if they were separated he could only imagine their heartbreak.

 

Dan couldn't leave them there, and he couldn't let his city fall if the Mad King decided to take vengeance for the blunder his council made. A blunder that he had to take credit for because he was too distracted by all the death surrounding him to think about it for more than a few seconds. And if the council was conspiring something, he could only unearth it once he knew war wasn't breathing down his neck.

 

He would earn his title as king, and he would save his Omegas from the grasp of the Mad King.

 

* * *

**[Dan's throne](https://31.media.tumblr.com/d3fa79d8971da8a55d8fb6f2ecf4fa74/tumblr_nac4o9b29M1r4uv0wo1_400.jpg) **   
**[Ryan's crown](https://31.media.tumblr.com/36452585ce300b7c6dd4e8af709e817b/tumblr_nac4o9b29M1r4uv0wo2_250.jpg)**   
**[The Haywood Castle throneroom/courtroom](https://38.media.tumblr.com/02d19f982f9ad9f8e91f41571c873937/tumblr_nac4o9b29M1r4uv0wo3_1280.jpg)**

 


	4. A Tryst in the Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sire, please. Not here.”

**Implied mpreg. Don't like. Don't read.**

 

* * *

 

 

The soil that had been imported for the rose bushes was the richest Ray had ever seen. It smelled like deep, cool earth and was velvety smooth with only shreds of bark from trees he’d never seen to scratch at his hand. He dug the beds himself, almost a dozen total, and lined them up perfectly along the south wall where one of the king’s favorite benches sat adjacent. He’d spent the whole morning sweating and digging with fingers and plows to get everything just right for shipment of roots that had so much to offer. They looked rather pathetic all bare and twiggy but they had a lot of potential with the right gardener.

 

“Sire, _please_. Not here.”

 

“Why not, my sweet flower?”

 

“A-Anyone can walk by.”

 

“I have Burns and Ramsay standing at the pathway. No one shall see you.”

 

“No, please, I beg you. I - I…anywhere but…”

 

“Hush.”

 

A moan fell from his lips. “My king, please, we…oh, _Ryan_ , d-don’t touch there…”

 

“Let us enjoy this day together, darling.”

 

Ray cried out as he was gently pushed down into the heaping mounds of rich soil, fingers sliding uselessly through it for purchase or leverage. He panted so heavily he nearly inhaled the fine dirt but he got a chest full of its heady, comforting scent. His tunic was rucked up underneath his arms and the first brush of his sensitive nipples against the soil had him shamelessly rubbing against it for more of the feeling. His breeches were already unlaced and it was a simple tug to get the slack material to flutter down around his thighs. He was barely on his knees with his king having forced him down so far. His small clothes were _ripped_ and his cock nearly smacked against his heaving stomach.

 

His eyes darted down the path and he could see the emerald cape the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard sported fluttering in the light breeze, a hint of silver armor. He nearly sobbed. “I can see him from here, sire.”

 

“He won’t look,” Ryan promised, spreading the Omega’s cheeks and grinning at clear shine he found between them. “You’re already so wet for me. I cannot help but think these protests are more to arouse than halt.”

 

Ray shook his head. He would never toy with his paramour like that, king or not. “I-If I am to be worth anything to you, my king, my honor…I have nothing else. If they know you’ve taken me already, then I am nothing.”

 

The Alpha king’s growl had him ducking his head and spreading his legs, an instinctual need to please his mate. His forehead grazed the dirt and it felt inexplicably cold against his skin. Ryan covered him completely, thighs bordering his own and bodies pressed from hip to shoulder while sharp canines nipped threateningly at his jumping pulse. He hadn’t meant to upset him it was the truth. If the king’s promises held any truth in them and he wasn’t being toyed with, accepting a peasant queen was only marginally easier than taking a used one.

 

“How fitting it will be to have you right here in the earth that is so connected to our gods.” Ryan’s growl gradually faded out with each word. “The same gods who will smile upon our union come our wedding day for they sent you here into my grasp. Your honor is intact, my sweet one, for you were meant only for me. So I shall enjoy you now, and every moment I can steal up to your coronation, and then every night after.”

 

It sounded lovely even if it was some sort of lie. Ray just choked back his tears and nodded, smiling despite the ache in his heart. He wanted so badly to be by Ryan’s side, to be his wife and his queen, to share his bed properly. The king had taught him so much about his own body and how good he could feel – the man could tear him down like no other but he had always built him back up. Trusting him felt like a second nature. _Even if I’m only a whore, at least I can have this._

 

Ryan teased his body open with thick fingers, biting low on his neck and sending pure pulses of heat through his smaller body. The Omega shuddered when two of those fingers caught his nipple and _twisted_ until tears came to his eyes. But he loved every moment of it. Ryan could manipulate his body like no other. The pain that action would have brought by anyone else’s touch made his cock throb against his belly and his hole twitch, slick dripping steadily down into the dirt as his body made itself ready to be taken by his Alpha.

 

His Alpha and protector, his king. The one who made sure he went home with a full belly and warm clothing, a trusted guard by his side to make sure he returned to his father’s house safe and sound. The one who asked about his day and ordered him such beautiful flowers to arrange and plant and take care of. The one who makes him come undone like this in the garden or within hidden rooms of the castle, never expecting anything back but always ready to prepare the Omega up for his thick cock if so desired.

 

And Ray desired it more than he could say.

 

He clawed through the soil at the first press of the Alpha’s cock at his rim. It was slick with the small vial of oil the king carried on him more often than not. The Omega was wet enough to be taken in an instant but he would never risk hurting the small boy for such brief pleasure. “No more talk of besmirched honor. I will not tolerate another foul word about what those fools in court will say when I finally have you as the gods intended.”

 

Ray nodded furiously, eager to agree to anything that would get him filled by his mate.

 

Despite the rough start the king fucked him slow and deep with a pace that meant his boy could take every inch. Ray tried his best to swallow his sounds but there was molten metal in his veins, pooling at the base of his cock and seeping into his limbs. Ryan clamped a hand on the back of his neck and pinned the Omega, dark soil staining his cheek and getting into his hair as the king held him down. His body went obediently limp, his passionate cries turning into punched out moans with each thrust. The world got fuzzy around the edges and more shadowed as the Alpha loomed over him, blocking out the sun. He felt so wonderfully full.

 

A tug at his rim brought him back to reality.

 

“Ryan?” Ray whined, shakily getting up on his elbows and trying to raise up on his knees in case he needed to fight to get away. “Don’t knot me. Please, my king, if I catch I won’t be able to hide it.”

 

The Alpha’s thrusts faltered. When he looked over the shoulder the man’s expression was unreadable, torn between following Ray’s wishes and giving them both the experience they craved. The Omega had been panting after his knot since he’d seen the way it swelled when he brought the king off with only his fingers. But he’d been asked Ryan in the beginning not to tie them together if only because they were compatible in scent and his body hungered for the royal seed like no food or water could ever inspire. His family didn’t breed a lot of fertile male Omegas but it was always a possibility.

 

“Ryan,” he said the name much more calmly as he took the man’s hand off his hip and dragged it around to lay against his stomach. “If I ever bore your heir, I would want his claim to be unquestionable. D-Don’t you want that too, my king?”

 

The tender way Ryan stroked a thumb over his bare belly made him shudder all over, the gesture feeding his fantasy of being swollen with his mate’s child. It would be an honor and a duty he would carry out with the highest pride but it was just a far off dream for now. _He would make such a good father, damn what the courtiers say about him._

 

When the king started moving within him again it was with shorter strokes, the fat head of his cock dragging right along that sweet spot inside him that made this act worth the aches and pains it later yielded. Ray lost himself in the rhythm again, nails scraping past bits of bark and digging trenches through the soil. It smelled so much warmer from the sun and the heat of their rutting bodies. Ryan dropped down on him again, the weight both a comfort and a burden. He didn’t mind at all as one of the king’s hands laced fingers with one of his own, rich earth grinding between the kiss of their flesh.

 

“I will have you, sweetling,” Ryan panted lightly near his ear, thrust down to the knot in the Omega's body while he palmed the boy's cock. “I'll take you as my queen and knot you whenever and wherever I please.”

 

“Yes, _yes_ ,” Ray whimpered.

 

“Do you want that as well?” Ryan asked, throwing his words back at him.

 

Ray nodded helplessly, mouth hanging open as another slew of pathetic sounds came out of him. He was fucked right into a climax that had him spilling hard into the soil, body trembling through the aftershocks. He made a high, happy noise when the Alpha's cock pulled out of him. “Thank you, my king.”

 

Ryan sighed and nuzzled his Omega's shoulder, the king's disappointed gaze watching satisfied slick drip out of the boy's reddened hole. “I will do nothing that upsets you, my rose. May I finish between your lovely thighs?”

 

Ray gave a breathy moan and slowly moved his aching legs back together, red-faced but used to intercrural with his lusty king. “Yes, sire. However you wish.”

 

After satisfying his king, Ray was gently re-clothed. Ryan kissed him sweetly and pet through his hair, carding out the flecks of dirt as best he could. He helped brush the boy off and apologized for his greed, his impatience. The word “love” was never said but the affection was there, the sweet touches, and that was enough.

 

“My garden flower,” Ryan cooed into his neck, as they sat beside the flower beds, “My darling Omega boy. You will look magnificent draped in my colors.”

 


	5. Daniel the Wolf King - Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “My,” Dan breathed out, looking up at the royal couple with eyes bright like dark blown glass, “What long-winded titles we have. Surely we must know everything about each other now.”

**There are so many people to thank for their beautiful art in both fics. But[tentackledicks](http://robotentacles.tumblr.com/post/94890233993) and [funkeemonke](http://funkeemonke.tumblr.com/post/94925581685/sometimes-in-very-rare-cases-youll-see-the) are the ones to thank for keeping this story going, along with everyone who commented and sent their love. I was, in all honesty and not trying to fish for compliments, was ready to delete this fic and put my efforts into the main story but you guys are keeping me strong. It's so much fun to write.**

 

* * *

 

Ray found court a whole lot more enjoyable with the Omega boys to join him. Gavin bounced easily between the back room that led down to the kitchen and the thrones, carrying a tray with snacks and new pitcher of wine every so often. The rules of cup-bearing were easy to him and he got his own little low settee beside the queen to watch the proceedings. He was good at keeping the king's glass full and soon, due to stress, the queen even accepted a glass.

 

“No more than one,” Ray murmured, refusing the slim jug the Omega offered. “Ask Jack to send up some of that daisy wine for me. It doesn't make my head fuzzy.”

 

Michael was hardly quiet or well mannered enough to be allowed out like Gavin was. Instead he sat behind the queen's throne, out of sight except by a few guards, and whittled soft wood. He had a knife handle and a small wolf figurine at his feet already. He whistled quietly and dug the sharp blade the queen had gifted to him into the block, the first makings of wings on each side. It would be a gift for his Omega lover after some polishing and painting.

 

Surprisingly it was Geoff who next made the trek to the thrones, a puzzled expression on his face. Ryan made a show of frowning. “I pay you enough gold that there is very little you could ask of me, sir.”

 

“Sire,” Geoff started slowly, carefully choosing his words, “There is a special visitor from across the sea to see you.”

 

“Truly?” Ray up straighter, setting his wine aside. “Send them in. Please. I hope they were fed upon receiving.”

 

“They weren't, for certain reasons.” Geoff rarely sounded unsure and it was unsettling for the royal couple. The Alpha climbed the steps of the dais and smile apologetically at Ray. “Forgive me, my queen, I speak to our sovereign now. His decision is final and I know your heart will be swayed.”

 

Ray frowned but nodded, his Omega cup-bearer reaching out and laying a hand on his own in silent support.

 

“Sire, King Daniel of Sparta is outside to speak with you.”

 

The Omega queen lit aflame. His attendant went wide-eyed and swallowed down a whimper at the name. Ryan's jaw went tight.

 

“I can have him slaughtered right here, right now, no problem. We'll mount his head on the city gate without question,” Geoff swore, keeping his tone neutral. “But my king, consider this, he comes alone. Without soldiers, without advisers, without anything more than a skeleton crew to man the boat. He has only armor, a shield, and daggers strapped to his legs. He's hardly arrived to fight. He allowed himself to be searched and stated he was here to accept the offer the queen gave him to explain himself.”

 

“Explain himself?” Ray seethed through grit teeth.

 

Ryan gave a sharp tisk and his queen quieted immediately but there was now a raw swirl of energy around the Omega.

 

“He has some interesting claims,” Geoff stated. “I believe it would be worth hearing.”

 

Ryan reclined in his throne, the crown feeling heavy upon his brow. It had only been half a season. Daniel must have left his city the day he received his wife's letter. That showed enthusiasm and determination – maybe foolish and risky, but bold. Matthew, who was a member of his Small Council, had a series of spies he called 'little birds' and their reach stretched across the salt sea. Their feedback had given him an infant idea that he'd laid to sleep, to wait until the Wolf King came to confront them.

 

“I will allow this,” Ryan declared firmly. “Bring him to me.”

 

Geoff nodded and turned on his heels, heading back to the double doors.

 

“Burns.” The General turned toward him, still at his post at the base of the dais. “Be ready for anything but above all be ready for my command and my command alone.”

 

To his credit, Burnie didn't glance at the fuming queen. “Yes, my liege. At your word.”

 

The moment the general turned away, Ray started furiously whispering to the king. “I will not sit here for this.”

 

“You will,” blue eyes cut to him, but his voice was deceptively soft. “For me, and your boys.”

 

There was a creak of his throne and when Ray looked Michael was kneeling beside his arm, Gavin right beside him. Their eyes were pleading but only the taller Omega spoke up. “You promised, Your Grace.”

 

“He came,” Michael added. “You have to give him credit for that.”

 

Ray fluttered angrily but he took a few deep breaths, counted back from ten, and when he opened his eyes he was all cool grace and neutral expression. “I have made a promise to you, my friends, and I will not break it. I will listen to what he has to say.”

 

Gavin took the queen's hand and kissed the silver Royal Crest ring. “Thank you.”

 

Ray sighed and pet through the Omega's hair. “Do not thank me yet.”

 

A new tension filled the room as the double doors were thrown open and Geoff led a single man into the hall. The soldiers had not forgotten their queen's rage or the buckets of diplomats they'd seen walked onto a Spartan ship.

  
“May I present The Wolf King Daniel of Sparta, Son of Iamos, Head of All Councils, and Breaker of Chains,” Geoff rattled off easily, used to these proceedings, and then stepped into the empty spot on the other side of the dais as Burns. “My lord, you have the honor of addressing King James Ryan of the House of Haywood the First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. And his Omega mate, Ray of the House of Narvaez, First of His Name, and our Rose Queen.”

 

“My,” Dan breathed out, looking up at the royal couple with eyes bright like dark blown glass, “What long-winded titles we have. Surely we must know everything about each other now.”

 

The Alpha king standing before them was nothing like either of the royal couple had predicted. The man before them was young, maybe only a few seasons older than Ray himself. His hair was dark like a raven's wing and catching the light to gleam like one. The sparse beard he had did nothing to hide the strong cut of his jaw. Unlike the Spartan's who had come before them this boy was pale, by birth rather by choice if the burn on his cheeks from the sun had anything to say about it. He wasn't as broad or as tall as other Alphas but this “Wolf King” was still just a pup and had room to grow. He was clad in leather armor, all straps and buckles, and the sheaths latched to his calves were obvious when they should have been hidden. The child had great muscle peeking out from the swatches of leather. He carried himself like an untried prince rather than a king. The shield on his back was pressed with a “Λ” and seemed to be made of some type of weathered bronze. Three thick, black bands were curle around the impressive swell of his arm.

 

Ryan took note that King Daniel had a small, shapely mouth like that of his queen. Only a shade lighter.

 

The Spartan heaved a heavy sigh. “Gavin?”

 

There was a high, keening noise through the court before Gavin launched himself down the dais and at his king. Michael hesitated only a moment before following his Omega mate at a run. Dan took them each in one arm and hugged them tight, face crumpling in relief as they buried their faces in his neck. Sweet kisses were dropped in their hair and they were squeezed almost painfully tight as if he wasn't sure they were really there with him.

 

“You both look so good, these clothes suit you,” Dan tried to make light with a choked voice. “Are they feeding you? Are you alright?”

 

Gavin was reduced to simple noises but his mate nodded for them. “They're good to us.”

 

“Are Caleb and Monty here?”

 

“Yeah, they're fine too.”

 

His nose buried deep in Michael's exotic curls and lingered there for a few deep breaths, fingers curling tight along the back of his neck as he whispered intimate of how much he'd missed him. When Dan managed to pry away from the Omega's rare fruit scent he ran his fingers through Gavin's hair and coaxed him out of his neck for a kiss. It was slow and the boy moaned happily into it, swaying against the Alpha. Michael chirped against the king's pulse.

 

As Dan pulled away from the Omega's enticing mouth he had tears clumping his long lashes. The boys tried to soothe him with gentle hands but their eyes were wet too. “I'm so sorry they did this to you. My council, my people...they had no right. You were gone before I knew what had happened.”

 

Gavin purred happily, rubbing his cheek against the man's shoulder.

 

“I couldn't protect you – any of you,” Dan sniffed sharply, trying to keep the grief at bay. “I freed you from shackles and gave you safe housing but Sparta is cruel to unattended Omegas and I let you down. I'm not worthy to be your Alpha or your king. Not even your friend.”

 

Michael carefully wiped the tears off his king's face. “We never wanted to believe you gave us away. We knew it was a mistake.”

 

“We convinced Ray to send the letter.” Gavin's gaze flickered to the Omega on the throne as he whispered into his king's ear. “He's a kind hearted queen. He'll listen to you.”

 

While the Omega mates continued to nuzzle and scent their king, Dan's eyes could not be torn away from the queen.

 

Ray looked upon the scene, shock rounding out his eyes and parting his lips almost dumbly. The Omega's he'd come to greatly care for and spend his days with were so loving toward the very king that had supposedly sent them into servitude. There was a great affection between the three of them, it was easy to see. The Alpha was sweet with them, showing them equal tenderness, letting the two boys of low stature scent him so easily in front of a foreign king. It was a show of love that touched his heart. The anger he once held for the Wolf King started to flicker out. The stories the Omegas had told him of the Spartan's kindness started to make sense.

 

Ray gasped softly when King Daniel looked up at him and held his gaze. He looked completely besotted, struck still, arms still around the boys but eyes firmly upon the queen. And what lovely eyes they were, dyed akin to fresh bark and set below thick brows. He was a handsome young Alpha, that was for sure, but he didn't look as regal or as capable as his own husband.

 

Ryan watched his queen's breathless reaction and then down at the young pup who called himself king. He laid a hand upon Ray's and stole his queen's attention from the other Alpha. His flower blushed heavily at the way he nearly jolted from his husband's touch. “What say you, darling? Should I rip him from the arms of your Omega boys and put his head on the outer gate?”

 

Gavin whimpered desperately and clung to the Spartan, starting to quietly beg before the Alpha hushed him.

 

“No,” Ray answered softly, then cleared his throat and spoke louder. “No, husband. I believe I've had a change of heart. Let's...let's hear him out.”

 

Michael's shoulders sagged. He had been tense and ready to defend his king to certain death but he was more than glad it hadn't come to that.

 

“Agreed.” Ryan gestured sharply. “Ramsey. Take the boys back to their rooms. If the... _Puppy Prince_ does live through this day, they will be summoned to take care of him.”

 

“No! No, Your Grace, please don't take him from us again,” Gavin pleaded shamelessly, shaking his head when Geoff – who was always so good with the Omegas – approached them with intent. “I don't want to go. Don't make me, please. My king, don't let them – I'll never see you again. They'll take you from us and I can't bear it!”

 

The sobbed words echoed through the hall and pulled at heartstrings. Dan hushed the Omega and settled him as best he could, carefully easing him into Geoff's hands. “Go with him, Gavin, it will be alright. No one's going to hurt you.”

 

“But they'll hurt _you_!” Gavin thrashed in Geoff's arms but the knight's grip was solid around his waist, easily hoisting him almost off his feet and dragging him away from the king. “Don't kill him, Your Grace! We owe him everything. He gave us our _lives_! Without him we'd just be slaves. I would be dead by now if not for him! I never would have found Michael! He's given me _everything_. You can't kill him!”

 

Tears streamed down the Omega's face and he went limp in Geoff's arms, clinging on to the strength in them to keep him on his feet. “There aren't enough good men left in this world. Don't take another, King Haywood, I _beg_ you.”

 

Michael took a last look at the royal couple, gave a small bow with grit teeth, and then took off to follow his boy. Between Geoff and Michael, the Omega's sobs died down and the three of them disappeared through the doors. The room went quiet once more.

 

“The Omegas you sent us dote upon you,” Ryan commented.

 

“There is much I wish to tell you, King Haywood.”

 

“ 'Your Grace' or 'my king' will do,” Ryan corrected firmly.

  
Dan's mouth snapped shut and one hand curled into a tight fist but it was just for a few moments. But it could not be left there.

 

“And you are to kneel in the presence of royalty, boy.”

 

“I am no _boy_ ,” Dan spat with a flash of fang. “And Spartan's do not kneel.”

 

“There is fire in this wolf,” Ryan mused with a growing grin. “I like it. That is good of you, King Daniel. Do not give one inch even in the face of an enemy who has promised to crush you under their heel. I expected no less from Sparta after that sad excuse of a representative.”

 

Dan felt a lightness in his chest at the king's praise. “Who did they send?”

 

“A man named Prexinos.”

 

Dan immediately snarled. “That pathetic worm. He's clung to my mother's name since she passed like he's entitled to land and honor from that alone.”

 

“Such bite,” Ryan chuckled lowly. “Your father and brothers would be proud of your grit alone, boy-king.”

 

Dan ran his fingers along the bands on his arm, gaze half-lidded as he thought of his father's stern face, the indifference of his siblings, the cruel way they would thrash him in the training yard. “Your words are appreciated.”

 

“Now...you have come here to plead your case,” Ryan tilted his head, just enough to show interest and show the gleam of his sharp crown. “I suggest you do it before my patience runs thin.”

 

* * *

 

 

[ **Order In Which Chapters To Be Read In** ](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/95604916006/and-life-is-wine-chronological-masterpost-wip)


	6. Daniel the Wolf King - Part IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And you swear this to be faultless?” Ryan asked, expression and voice not giving anything away.
> 
> “On my honor,” Dan replied immediately, “And to my people, honor is everything.”

**Continuance of the courtroom scene**

* * *

 

 

The courtroom was deathly quiet after Dan finished speaking. Guards shifted uneasily, armor clanking slightly, the soft breathing of almost twenty people in the long hall barely audible past the thick tension. The Wolf King shifted uneasily but didn't look away from Haywood's steely gaze. He'd confessed everything – the death of his brother overwhelming him, one of his “trusted” advisers finding him in his darkest moment, discovering his Omegas gone, and the threat he'd left his council with. He gave every detail he had, praying the bare truth without fanfare would prove that he had not meant for the “gift” to be sent.

 

Despite his best efforts, Dan couldn't stop looking at the Rose Queen. The delicate handwriting did no justice to seeing him in person. He was a vision swathed in golds, his outer robe a delicate mix of a paler palette. It looked easy to open with only a few leather belts – that is, if one were bold enough to think such a thing about the Mad King's chosen mate. Bronze suns were pressed into the material, the metal work simple but elegant. An equally plain ring circled his thumb, the only finery being the silver vined-band wedding ring upon the proper finger and the royal Haywood seal, the former sitting by itself upon his left hand. He was a pretty Omega with smooth cheeks and lithe figure – skin tan from the sun, hair shining like dark silk around the crown woven through it. Tan boots laced tight to show off his calves, a heel on them to give him height.

 

In another life they could've been brothers in looks.

 

And the king – with golden mane and kilt, form carved of ice and thunder – stared down at him from his throne. He'd never felt smaller in the world than now.

 

“And you swear this to be faultless?” Ryan asked, expression and voice not giving anything away.

 

“On my honor,” Dan replied immediately, “And to my people, honor is everything.”

 

“I had no desire to hear one word about your people after the insult of slaves was brought to us,” Ryan stated almost boredly, one of his heavy rings clacking on the arm of his throne. “Until Michael, who I've grown quite fond of, convinced me that you were more than a dog to be put down on sight. So I learned of your fallen father and brothers. The wolf pup without a pack, 'Breaker of Chains', the prince who frees slaves. Half your palace is run by Omegas you've taken out of servitude from surrounding kingdoms, isn't it?”

 

“Only those who have chosen to stay. The others I released with new papers and enough gold to get them out of Sparta to the cities that are kinder to Omegas,” Dan assured him, realizing how it could look from the outside. “I am a third son, my lord. I was of no use to anyone so I sought to make the most of my time and resources.”

 

“It was charity?”

 

“It was my duty,” Dan countered. “My mother was an Omega and often spoke of how she'd seen those of her status mistreated for simply being what they were. We are lucky to be born into the status and wealth that we were, Kind Haywood, and I believe it is the obligation of the crown to make sure it's subjects are all treated equally.”

 

Ryan stood and Kerry was quick to come to his side. The crown was lifted off his brow and placed on a velvet cushion, put aside on the small table beside the throne. His cape was removed next, his gloves following, leaving him in the heavy swatch of his kilt and the studded material of his thickly woven tunic. As he took the steps down the dais, Dan's eyes trailed down to the cling of the man's leather leggings and the tight lace of his boots. He cut a regal figure and he moved with the fluid grace not unlike the jungle cats the Spartan had seen in Macedonia, and he would not doubt for a moment that the king had fangs hidden behind those regal lips. Like said cat, Ryan started to circle, his gait slow and his eyes burning twin trails over every inch of him. There was a raw heat coming off the older Alpha and he could feel it through his armor, the material feeling much too thin in the presence of all this steel.

 

Dan sucked in a soft breath when fingertips touched his shoulder, the faint breath of the king tickling the hair on the back of his neck. “I believe you, Wolf King.”

 

He tried not to let his relief show but his fingers relaxed from their nervous fists. Ryan came back around took to the first few steps, pausing and eyeing his queen. Ray was sitting on the edge of his throne, teeth worrying the swell of his lower lip. His wife showed remorse for his harsh words and his cruel thoughts, seeming more like his rose now than bottled lightning. His fury toward the “slaved” Omegas seemed long gone. It was clear to Ryan that his queen believed Daniel's story as well.

 

Ryan turned his attention toward the young pup once more, the one that called himself king. The bands on his arms showed that he was without a home now. What his council had done was treason, a usurpation, and he would not doubt that these illnesses the boy spoke of were poison. Daniel stood before them without crown, without protection. It was clear this pup had no idea how to be king or rule a mighty nation like Sparta. Ryan often followed his instinct, his proverbial gut, and it had always led him well. To victory in battle, to the garden where his future wife had been hiding, and now it told him to take his wronged fellow ruler under his wing. He wanted to teach the boy properly, as his father had him, and show him the way to wear the crown and to carry himself.

 

It was a strange urge but he did not fight it. They were, in fact, brothers in the way that the gods had chosen them to rule. The boy was being manipulated and he seemed to have very little idea of how deeply the conspiracy went. _But I have the power to protect him, to perfect him. I could groom this pup into the fiercest beast in all the Seven Kingdoms. He would earn his title, and grow some claws._

 

“There is much to be discussed about your...traitorous council and their decision to send you here to die.”

 

Dan was taken back. “Send me here to...? No, my lord, my decision to come was my own.”

 

“Truly?” Ryan raised a brow at the Spartan. “What I've heard from your own words is that your father and his eldest son fell under a mysterious fever. That your untamed, overflowing number of councilors purposefully took your favored Omegas from their beds, collared them, and shoved them on a boat with flock of delicate birds. All in the name as a 'gift' to me and my queen in a land where Omegan slavery is punishable by death and my wife's heart is publicly acknowledged to be soft hearted on those of his status and the creatures that live in his garden. You would stand before me and say that these snakes you have slithering in your kingdom did not do all this with the intent to have you end up here – right now – at the _Mad King's_ mercy.”

 

The title was spat out like venom.

 

Dan frowned deeply.

 

“They probably fell over themselves trying to talk you into staying, to taking soldiers with you, to send them instead – but you, noble pup, would not hear it. You proclaimed to go alone, to _fix_ this rift between our kingdoms. Am I close?” Ryan watched the Spartan nod, dumbstruck by the sudden realization. “You poor boy. You played right into their hands. It is an easy mistake to make. A king is only as good as those he can trust.”

 

“Bastards,” Daniel spat, glaring fiercely at the floor. “What they did to my subjects – to...to my friends. It's unforgivable. After what they did, I had to come, but I didn't think that they would stoop this low. My father and brother...those traitorous swine could've easily slayed them. If the Gerousia are corrupted their bile could spread down to the ephors...all that blather about the oracles...”

 

He looked up at the king, flustered and ashamed at how he'd tripped into such an obvious scheme. “They have wronged us all, King Haywood, but my decision to come would not change. My kingdom does not want war and I fear that is what they were trying to start.”

 

“Not war, brat, they only wished to eliminate your as a claim to the throne. I'm sure after they would grovel at my feet and beg for peace.” Ryan's smirk was sharp enough to cut. “They would send new, appropriate gifts and plead ignorance, plead repression from the blood thirsty Wolf King. It's a beautifully woven plan but they put too much belief in my... _violent_ reaction. I have disappointed them, I'm sure.”

 

“Spartan. You said you would come regardless,” Ray's fingers laced in his lap, twisting nervously, eyes watching Ryan for any disagreeance. “But surely you would've known of our king's reputation?”

 

The Omega's sweet voice extinguished some of Dan's fire, softening him up around the edges. “And yours, Your Grace.”

 

Ray flushed hotly at the Alpha's smooth tone, knuckles going white in his lap as he tried to hide his reaction. Dan smiled prettily up at the royal couple, feeling a little light headed off the whiff of rare vanilla that curled past his nose. For the first time in his life he felt the urge to kneel. He wanted to walk up he dais and drop to his knees before the beautiful Omega, kiss his ring, wax poetry about the delicate line of his throat and the peek of smooth chest through the folds of his clothing. The ornate collar on his throne was not of servitude but of coveted desire, a possessive claim upon the boy. Instincts won over Dan's upbringing and he bowed low in front of them, all eyes on his pale nap and the meaning of this small submissive action.

 

“Being here, seeing your people, standing here – as you said – in person, has wiped away any trace of those vile rumors,” Dan promised, meaning every word he said. This king was not mad – he was intelligent, insightful, and had the promise of cunning, but not out of his mind. And the sight of the Rose Queen was worth the grueling trip, the hint of the boy's scent a mouth watering temptation that he felt honored to experience first hand. And his boys, along with Caleb and Monty, were well-fed and happy and (most importantly) with one another. “Any kingdom who takes in my people and showers them in good fortune is a kingdom I would have utter faith and loyalty to, one I would be proud to be allies with. You have my gratitude, along with Sparta's.”

 

“You speak like a king,” Ryan mused, “But do you fight like one?”

 

Dan straightened up, dark brows knitting together. “I lead a division in my brother's war. I fought well.”

  
“Yes, yes. I've read about you Spartan's and your infamous phalanx. But one on one, how do you fair?” Ryan whistled sharply. “Kerry, my sword. And one for the boy king.”

 

“Most battles involving kings are rarely one on one.” Dan's eyes darted around the room, counting the guards again. One word and he'd be easily overwhelmed.

 

“Don't look so nervous, puppy,” Ryan teased lightly, slowly taking the steps back down so they were on the same level. “Tell me your skills.”

 

“I am a master of the spear, as all Spartans are,” Dan's voice started to waver. “Proficient in shield and strategy. And beyond that with a bow.”

 

“Spear and bow,” Ryan tisked loudly, gripping the hilt of the sheath his Beta assistant offered to him and pulled out a dark bladed sword. It had very little finery but Dan could spot how well made it was, a blade meant for battle more than show. “How are you with a sword?”

 

“I am capable,” Dan drew out the words, watching the Beta boy approach him with a second sword. He glanced at Ryan and the older Alpha nodded, holding his own weapon like it was an extension of his arm. So he took it, the metal scraping against the sheath loudly. It was good steel but it sat awkwardly in his hand. He'd stopped these types of lessons after Iamos II had nearly broken his ribs with the training sword. He had gotten tired of being beaten by his brothers and now that decision was coming back to haunt him. “Spartan's work with spears and in large groups, King Haywood.”  
  
“A real man's worth is in his blade work.” The king's practice swing made Dan stumble back a few steps, giving ground.

 

“What are you doing?” the younger Alpha demanded hotly.

 

Ryan held the blade up, briefly peering down the length of it as if sizing him up. “A friendly match between kings. A scrimmage. Since you sound so uncertain of your skills I shall test you and we will learn together. How does that sound, princeling?”

 

Dan's fingers tightened around the hilt. “I am no _prince_. I'm Daniel, Son of Iamos, the High King of Sparta. My family has sat on the throne for longer than the Haywood name has meant anything. I will not fight you surrounded by your Kingsguard.”

 

“If you somehow manage to harm me, pup, they will not harm you,” Ryan promised, laying a hand over his heart. “On _my_ honor – if you kill me, you will leave this place unharmed and of your own power.”

 

“This is crazy,” Dan muttered, staring down at the sword he clutched.

 

“This is what's happening,” the king half-jested, taking a defensive stance.

 

“I came here to stop the fighting.”

 

There was a cold glint in those blue eyes again. “True fighting is what you will get if you disobey.”

Though Dan considered himself different from the usual Spartan Alpha, maybe softer and untried, but still had the blood of Aries and his warrior ancestors in his veins. He would not back down from an open challenge, he could not. There was more to this than a duel, he could feel it in his bones. Whatever it was he would not lose.

 

“I will not hold back,” Dan declared, boots scraping across the rich carpet as he readied himself.

 

The Alpha king's lips curled up at the corners, shoulders squaring off. “Don't worry, _I_ will.”

 

* * *

[ **Order of Chapters to be Read** ](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/95604916006/and-life-is-wine-chronological-masterpost-wip)

 

 

 


	7. Michael and Gavin Get Taken From Sparta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Does that feel good, little bird?” Michael teased, using the nickname their king had given to his lover.

[ **Chapters in Order to be Read** ](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/95604916006/and-life-is-wine-chronological-masterpost-wip)

**This chapter explains how Michael and Gavin were taken from Dan's palace and put on a boat - and it's shameless porn**

 

* * *

 

“Michael,” Gavin purred, both hands carding deep into his lover's curls. The other Omega's lips were wet and swollen, flushed darker than their usual coral pink, and wrapped around the sensitive base of his cock. His head thrashed on the pillow, almost-blonde strands flicking everywhere, thighs trembling on either side of Michael's head. The other hummed and hands that were always so much thicker and broader than his own hooked along the back of his knees and spread them further apart. The cool air of the room touched his tight hole and the slick there went cool, making him tingle. His nipples were already tender from his lover's fierce mouth and the rest of him was starting to feel the same way.

 

Michael drew up and let go of the lustful flesh with a slick _pop_ , teeth flashing in a smirk when his boy's fingers slid free of his hair. Gavin looked beautiful with his pink cheeks and heaving chest, all that glorious hair so rare to Omegas growing thick across his stomach and stopping just under the jut of his collarbones. He was lithe, fit, all whipcord muscle and tan skin. Those gorgeous eyes he'd fallen in love with when they'd first met were shining and bright in the candlelight.

 

They had fallen together like this onto Gavin's bed. They kept separate beds for appearances when some of the king's court would flounce through but more often than not they ended up curled together on one or the other.

 

“Does that feel good, _little bird_?” Michael teased, using the nickname their king had given to his lover.

 

“I-I barely scented with him, Michael.” He loved the way Gavin cooed his name in that strange accent of his. It was intimate and _theirs_ , something only for him. Yesterday Michael had walked in on his love kneeling at Dan's feet while their king had been reading. Gavin had been nuzzling the Alpha's inner knee, looking blissed out and ready to start panting right there. They often shared the bed of the king but it was usually just to sleep, to scent. Dan had never used them without their permission and he was there when they went through their heats.

 

But Michael had always been a little more Alpha than Omega and he liked to remind Gavin of just who's mate he was after incidents like that.

 

“ _Please_ ,” Gavin whined shamelessly, hips rolling up into the other boy's hands, “It hurts, Michael.”

 

Michael eyed the other Omega's dripping cock and wet hole, mouth watering hungrily. He'd been teasing Gavin for a while now and he knew he was getting desperate. The head of his cock was dark and the veins running along it were almost visibly throbbing, balls drawn up tight against his body, muscles practically quivering. “How much do you want it?”

 

“V-Very much, Michael,” Gavin stuttered, hands clawing at the pillow under his head. “I'll do anything. You made me wait all day, it's _c-cruel_!” The last word was nearly yelled as Michael swallowed his lover's cock down to the root. It slid down his throat with ease, thinner than an Alpha cock and thankfully without a knot to worry about. And Gavin was so sensitive – touch starved, even after so many seasons together.

 

Michael slid two fingers inside his boy, the Omega's body opening easily for his touch. Gavin positively _wailed_ when they crooked inside him and hit that magical spot that sent licks of fire through his limbs, a hand clamped on his slim hip the only thing keeping him from bucking. Lips sealed tight below the ridge of his cock and that plush mouth _suckled_ , tongue lapping over the spongy head. He licked away every salty drop while his fingers thrust hard into his body, giving the Omega the roughness he craved so close to spilling.

 

Gavin started chanting his name with an increasing breathlessness, praising the gods and his mouth and how he wished it were his cock inside him. Michael smirked around the boy's hard cock and slipped in a third finger, stretching him in a way that encouraged the Omega's body to pump out more of that tasty, heady slick. The scent of Gavin's meadow scent and strong arousal filled his nose and padded his lungs as he grew closer and closer to his end. The rhythmic crying of his name grew to a fever pitch before he felt the tell-tale throb against his tongue.

 

Michael swallowed two thick mouthfuls before he pulled away, licking the taste off his lips as he watched his boy writhe around in their little nest. He hooked his fingers almost viciously inside Gavin and jabbed right on the soft spot in his love's body. The other Omega _gushed_ and the clear, sweet-smelling slick spilled down his fingers, over his palm, and onto the bedding. Gavin was beautiful when he came, his thighs falling open and his whole body shaking like he had lightning going through him instead of ecstasy. 

 

Michael grinned with malicious intent as he milked his mate for every drop of pleasure he had in him. The Omega whimpered, hands fluttering uselessly over his still-dribbling cock and mouth to try and smother his sounds. But Gavin was loud by nature and he made all these sweet bird sounds, cooing and squeaking, almost fluttering off the bed. If Dan hadn't already coined a name for Gavin, Michael would've whispered _little dove_ in his ear just to make his blush deepen.

 

They may occasionally share themselves with their beloved king, but loving nicknames were not part of that.

 

“Oh Michael,” Gavin panted, pliant and relaxed on the bed.

 

“You've made a mess, sweetling,” Michael crooned, fingers slipping out of the clinging rim of his boy's entrance. A hiss came out of the other Omega but it trailed off into a sigh as he watched his mate lick the slick from his digits. It was almost sugary on his tongue, musky, like biting into the fleshy curve of an orchid. Michael leaned down over the boy and lapped at the spatter of seed over his belly and thighs, humming happily as he got the other to squirm. There was no protest though. Gavin enjoyed this as much as he did and he couldn't deny it. Cleaning, grooming, swallowing his seed.

 

Once every pearly drop was gone, Michael moved up to kiss his boy. “Let me clean you up.”

 

Gavin nodded, smiling like a dope, “And then you'll have me, love?”

 

Michael chuckled, scratching his blunt nails down the other Omega's thigh. “That wasn't enough for you, you little slut?”

 

He got an offended chirp but he saw the way his cock twitched in a valiant attempt to get hard again. “I haven't had your cock properly in _ages_ , Michael. You've been so busy in the armory. I can go again, you know I can.”

 

“By the gods, I do.” Michael pressed a kiss to the harsh lines he'd made in the boy's skin. “Relax, I'll only be a minute.”

 

He left his mate and went to the water basin. He soaked a cloth and ignored the way his hard cock scratched against his rough-spun pants. Gavin's pleasure came first, always, but he would be glad to spill inside his tight hole after the long day he'd had. He was soaking a flannel and Gavin was moaning softly while stretching when his ears picked up a sound outside the door.

 

“My king?” he called. It wouldn't be the first time Dan had caught them mid-mating.

 

The door burst open and the room was flooded with guards/ Men in heavy leather with shields strapped to their backs and the scent of pure Alpha pouring off them. Michael growled loudly at the first to approach him and managed to flip the man over his shoulder, using his charge against him. But three surged at him at once, his mate's frightened cries distracting him enough for one of the Alpha's to twist his arms up his back. He pried one free and clawed at the man's eyes, getting him to cry out and let go, but the other two seized his forearms and kicked his knees out from beneath him. He hit the floor hard enough to jar his whole body but it was secondary to finding where the other Omega was.

 

Gavin had been half dragged off the bed but the boy had kicked and bit, limbs shooting out defensively. He was back handed and flipped onto his stomach, one of the Alpha's grabbing a fistful of his hair and bending him over the edge of the feather mattress. Michael snarled when he heard his mate start whining in distress and smelled the spike of pheromones their rutting had inspired in the guards.

 

“Look at this one,” the Alpha restraining him rumbled, groping one of Gavin's cheeks and spreading it to reveal his soaked hole. “It's wet. Little whores were fucking in here.”

 

“A harem that plows each other,” another snickered. “My, the king sure is living large.”

 

“Don't you touch him!” Michael snapped, surging against the men holding him down. He got a heavy punch in the back of the head that made his eyes go cross.

 

“Michael? Michael!” Gavin flailed, fighting against the hold in his hair to try and get to his boy. He got dragged up to his feet and the Alpha growled in his ear, holding him against his chest while gloved fingers groped at the Omega's limp cock.

 

“Shut up, boy, or we'll show you what real fucking is like,” the Alpha demanded.

 

“Give him here.”

 

Michael recognized the leader as one of the generals, Duris. The man was dark and broad, built to kill from long marches and numerous battles. He'd mended the armor the man was wearing. Pure rage shot through him and the growl that rippled in his chest only grew louder as the Alpha general took the squirming Omega in his grasp. Gavin tried to push away but got a swift punch to the jaw that made him starry eyed and mute. Michael tried to stand and one of the men behind him wrapped a rope he hadn't seen around his throat, the rough fibers scratching his skin before the length started to bite into his windpipe. He gasped, air coming more shallowly now, spots dancing at the corners of his vision. But he didn't close his eyes, not for a second, not with the way Duris was holding his Omega.

 

“You care about this boy, Michael?” Duris asked much too calmly for the way he had a dazed Gavin propped up against his chest. He reached down, bare hands parting the Omega's cheeks. Michael strained against the rope and hands, growling much lighter with the lack of air in his chest. Gavin whined and tried to shrink in on himself, jumping like a startled horse when the Alpha touched his hole. “Is this yours?”

 

“You fucking bastard!” Michael shouted, getting another blow to the side of the head. His neck stung and his teeth ached from the impact but he didn't care. The Alpha sneered and started to sink the tips of his fingers inside his mate. Gavin was pouring off waves of distress and it was heart wrenching to smell it with slick still clinging to his thighs, the old arousal and the memory of what they'd just been doing driving up his protective instincts.

 

Duris was up to the second knuckle and had wrapped a free hand around Gavin's throat when Michael broke. “Yes! Stop, _yes_ , he's mine.”

 

“Then you will be silent and still or I'll have you both passed around on the boat like party favors, do you hear me?”

 

The rope tightened warningly around his throat. He didn't know what was going on but he nodded quickly, ready to agree with anything to keep his mate safe. He didn't care what happened to him, he'd been chain fucked before and he'd live, but he'd found his sweet boy innocent and he wouldn't let him go through what he had. The moment Michael started nodding, Duris removed his fingers and wiped the slick on the Omega's skin with no small amount of disgust.

 

“Bind and gag them.”

 

“Michael!” Gavin lurched away from the Alpha and ran at his mate, dropping down in front of him and wrapping around him like he could stop it. Michael teared up and rubbed his cheek against his boy's hair, trying to give him what comfort he could, but hands were already prying them apart. Gavin kept repeating his name in a sick parody of earlier in bed, clinging to the other Omega with all his strength. It wasn't enough and he no matter how many elbows he threw and how much he kicked he seemed to be getting farther away from his mate.

 

Michael wriggled an arm free and reached out for his boy, their fingers twining for only a few brief moments before Gavin was jerked back and a gag was forced between his teeth, tears trickling past the leather strap as his arms were wrenched behind him to be tied. Michael could only watch as the same was done to him, the Alphas filthy words and their wandering hands going unnoticed as his world narrowed down to his mate and how to get back to him.

 

Sacks were forced over their heads and they were all but dragged out of their room, senses dulled down until they couldn't even smell each other anymore.

 

Duris gave one look around the room and clicked his tongue at one of the younger recruits. “Clean this mess up. It needs to look like they left of their own free will.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

o0o

 

Michael waited in the cell upon some kind of vessel for almost an hour before he saw his mate again. Gavin was lead in still blind but with a new pair of leggings covering his modesty. The binds on his arms were cut before he was thrown into the same cell. Michael's heart nearly burst in relief as he rushed to his boy and ripped the bag off his head, green eyes blinking up at him red rimmed and wet.

 

“M-Michael?”

 

 

“I'm right here,” Michael shushed, picking up his shuddering mate and taking him over to the pile of hay in the corner that would serve as their bed. He fluffed up the best of it and purred lowly, briefly, silently encouraging his mate with gentle hands to lay down in it. Gavin curled into a tight ball, every inch of him quivering in sheer fear of what was to become of them. Michael chittered in one of those raw Omegan ways and laid behind him, tucking them up until they were pressed from head to toe. It took a long time to calm his mate down. There were lots of slow, firm swipes of his hands and kisses all over his neck and shoulders until Gavin finally chirped back.

 

“I don't know what happened,” Michael whispered, trying to memorize the way the moonlight glittered in his mate's hair in case this was the last night they had together, “But I have you. Stay with me, Gavin.”

 

The Omega slowly turned around until they were nose to nose, exhaustion swamping any other emotion on the boy's face. Their kiss was chaste.

 

“I'm here, boy,” Gavin promised against his lips. “Don't leave me either.”

  
“Never.”

 

They fell asleep tangled up like that, taking solace in the heart beat of their mate as they tried not to think of their king's betrayal.

 

* * *

 

 

 **Comments are always above appreciated. And I'll be cutting this fic down to one chapter a week, because I have school now so I'm very VERY sorry**  

 


	8. "Lord" Ryan - Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the king slips away from his guards to find a moment of peace, he instead discovers a hidden treasure in the garden.
> 
> -
> 
> “I'm Ray, the Royal Gardner's son,” the boy shot back, arms crossed over his small chest. “It's my responsibility to tend to the king's garden when my father cannot. And you are?”

**So, we're going backward. How Ryan and Ray first met. Yes, yes, out of order.[But I fixed that](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/95604916006/and-life-is-wine-chronological-masterpost-wip).**

* * *

 

 

The Royal Gardner had but one son – a boy who showed all the makers of being an Omega when he presented. _Ray_. Named after his father and the sun that shone so brightly in the hour of his birth. He was the sweetest boy you could ever ask for and after the death of his mother, he became the center of his father's life.

 

The palace garden was lush and rich with life thanks to the Narvaez green thumb, tended to by Ray Sr. and his father before him. It was the product of his blood's hard work and was deemed the safest place to keep his young boy. They had a good, hearty farm about a mile from the city gates but the hollowed halls and walls that sealed in the garden were much sturdier than the picket fences that protected the cows.

 

It was was alive with the bright colors of a dozen breeds of flowers, vines crawling up stone and stakes as if clawing for freedom from their soft home. Some were plain ivy, some harbored grapes, but they were all vivid green and strong under one's fingers. As Ray Sr. started to bring his son to work, he was given more and more responsibility. Ray was put in charge of watering when the rain didn't come and otherwise would be on his hands and knees all day pulling weeds. He didn't mind. His father was getting on in years and while his back was strong his joints got stilted when he hunched over too long.

 

There came a day Ray went alone to the garden for the morning watering, a morning which Ray Sr. stayed home to rest his stiff fingers and get some much needed sleep, and the guards took notice of him being without the Royal Gardener. He gave them a note with the seal the king had given his father pressed into it, claiming that Ray was in training and could be permitted to wander the allowed parts of the castle without question or speculation. It was a small power his father had but it felt good to wield it, to see their confused faces turn to half smiles.

 

And the day after that, a new breed of flower was brought before the gardeners.

 

“Roses, from Dorne,” his father marveled, touching them gently. “They don't grow here as large as they do there. I haven't seen them this full since I was a child.”

 

“Roses,” Ray repeated with the same note of awe. He mimicked his father's touch and found himself nearly shaking in excitement as he eyed the vibrant red they came in. The mix of lively green stems and bloody petals were so like the royal colors and the Haywood court. Like most children of the kingdom, Ray grew up under the Haywood reign and was interested in all things that had to do with their sovereign. A king he'd never seen up close or from afar, the Alpha and Protector of the kingdom. A man with more power than he could ever imagine.

 

And these roses were from _him_.

 

“These serve very little medicinal purposes,” Ray Sr. pointed out, eyeing the messenger and manservant that had brought them. “Tell me, Kerry, why these?”

 

The Beta boy dipped his head in a small bow. “To welcome the Apprentice Royal Gardener. If the king had known you were teaching your only son the trade, he said he would have ordered them sooner. They are a gift for him, to help with his training. As our sovereign commands.”

 

“How kind,” Ray breathed, nose tucked in one of the blooms.

 

“Thank his majesty for us, express our gratitude.”

 

“Of course, sir.”

 

The moment Kerry left them alone, Ray was latched to his father's arm and begging for him to teach him about these new pretty, thorny plants.

 

Though Ray Sr. was puzzled, he agreed. “As they are a gift for you, it is only fair you learn how to take care of them and what they are used for. They will be your responsibility.”

 

Under the firm guidance of his father, Ray made sure the new plants were rightly taken care of and placed where they had the greatest chance to flourish and be admired.

 

Daisies and sunflowers, beautiful blooms of small dandelions, luscious red roses and perky little violets – it was all neatly organized and spread out to best be viewed from the garden paths. Though these paths were packed with smooth dirt and lined in polished stone, it was very rare that someone strolled through it. Courtiers often did venture through to sit on the benches and gossip but never to admire the foliage or the hard work that had been poured into it.

 

Except one.

 

o0o

 

Ryan made sure to dress down before he slipped away from his guards, sneaking off the moment Burnie turned his back. He took the hidden entrance behind a tapestry down to the open hall that spilled into the garden. It was a beautiful piece of paradise he hadn't enjoyed in more than a year and he darted into the hedges, disappearing among the greenery before he could be spotted by an errant courtier or one of the many soldiers that patrolled the castle.

 

He quickly came upon a path and after following it for a while he found the Dorne roses he'd ordered once he'd gotten word that Narvaez had a son he was tutoring. The Royal Gardener was a good man and the boy was rumored to be sweet natured so he thought a gift from their family's homeland would be appreciated. The king walked up to one of the shoulder-height stalks, removing his gloves and tucking them in his belt, and tugged one of the blossoms out from between two vines. Not displanting it but bringing it out into the open. It was lovely and red like wine, soft as velvet beneath his thumb.

 

“Pretty,” Ryan muttered appreciatively, thumbnail digging in to the stem to try and break it off.

 

“Hey!”

 

Ryan's head snapped toward the voice, freezing in place when the word was spat was such _authority_. A boy was coming toward him on quick feet. He was tan and dark haired, lips pursed into a thin, angry line. His clothes were plain and smeared with dirt, rough against his soft-looking skin. The wind picked up from behind the kid and carried his smell. The king sniffed sharply but there was no status to be told from his scent, just a faint sweetness and the soil that clung to his nails and the lines of his palms. And he was fast. It was only seconds before the boy was upon him and smacking his hand away from the stem.

 

“What do you think you're doing?” the boy barked at him, moving protectively in front of the plant. “I just set those. Gods' blood, let them breathe for a few days before you start ripping them up!”

 

Ryan blinked down at the unpresented boy, taken off guard. This child had some _fire_ in him, in his eyes and actions. The monarch found himself enjoying it. How long had it been since someone yelled at him or told him no?

 

“The king just sent these from my homeland and I won't have them roughed up before they can properly take root,” Ray growled, examining the flower for damage before he tucked it back to where it had naturally laid.

 

“And who are you?” Ryan demanded, trying to scrape back up some of his dignity. But the boy didn't falter, glaring up at him as if he were offended.

 

“I'm Ray, the Royal Gardner's son,” the boy shot back, arms crossed over his small chest. “It's my responsibility to tend to the king's garden when my father cannot. And you are?”

 

“Ryan,” he answered honestly, a small part of him wanting to impress the boy with his status while the rest of him wanted to keep the boy so feisty. It was refreshing to talk with someone who didn't just bow and shake in fear.

 

“Ryan,” the boy repeated sharply, “Ryan, sir, I'm going to ask you to keep your hands _off_ these roses. They're special.”

 

“In general, boy, or just to you?”

 

That got some real color in Ray’s cheeks. “They were ordered specifically for me and they’re my pride. You courtiers with your rough fingers, bruising every petal you touch. Ungrateful brutes.”

 

The heat trickled out of the boy’s tone until it was little more than a pouting sight, fishing a pair of shears from his belt and gently pulling out one of the stems from the foliage to snip away a darkened bud. Ryan was tempted to scold the boy for talking so harshly about those above his position but there was no drive behind the urge in the face of such earnestness.

 

“I’m sorry, youngling,” Ryan apologized, getting a fierce look that made him correct himself. “Young _sir_. I’m afraid I don’t know much about these flowers.”

 

“Obviously, you don’t,” Ray pointed out with some bite, carefully parting some of the leaves to find another bud that wouldn’t come to fruition so it could be clipped.

 

Ryan looked over the unpresented boy carefully – this _Ray_ , with his mild scent and his soft touch with the flowers. It would be simple to walk away and never return, to let Burnie find him and go back to his duties. He had a strong gut feeling and it was hard to go against it. Instead he took a step closer and tucked his hands behind his back, trying to seem remorseful.

 

“Would you mind telling me more?”

 

Ray visibly perked up, staring at the blossoms for a moment before tucking his shears away and giving the Alpha his full attention. He looked a little bewildered but Ryan just smiled at him, enjoying his confusion. “You…you want to know about them?”

 

The disguised king nodded.

 

“Are you sure?” Ray further questioned, fingers fiddling with his sleeve under the sudden bout of nervousness. “It’s…well, I find it fascinating, but usually the courtiers don’t care much for botany.”

 

-

 

Ray looked up at the man through his lashes, unsure if the other was being serious or not. Ryan was tall and broad shouldered, shirt open at the collar to show off the top of a taunt chest. His clothes were only a few steps above his own in quality, plain riding pants and simple tunic, but his boots and gloves fit well and seemed to be made of fine leather. They were nice and he was clean, so the man must have been some sort of lord. He appeared strong and he was certainly handsome and that was why the gardener was so confused.

 

An Alpha showing him attention was unheard of. A skinny little upresented boy like him never got looked at twice and here this lord was – staring at him with genuine curiosity and a soft smile.

 

“Botany is a rather helpful and beautiful skill to have. One that requires more patience and care than most have,” Ryan stated and he seemed to truly mean it. “I would love to learn some, if you are willing of course.”

 

Ray felt his cheeks warm at the praise to his skill and interest, his very trade. He rubbed his knuckles over his skin in an attempt to scrub it away. “I certainly wouldn’t mind. My lord?” He tried to title out but couldn't gauge the other's reaction. “I’m sorry, sir, I caught your name but not your title.”

 

“Ryan will do just fine,” the Alpha pressed.

 

 _Ryan_. Ray repeated the name to himself a few times, feeling a little light headed at the easy dismissal of status between them.

 

“And you're named after your father?” Ryan questioned good naturedly. “I believe I’ve heard of him.”

 

“Yes, my mother insisted. She said I had the complexion of one from Dorne and it would be a shame to give me a Northern name,” Ray chuckled to himself as he recalled the way his father always smiled and laughed when he told the story. “My father is the official caretaker but he’s needed more at home. We can only afford one Beta to help out and I’m not exactly made nor particularly good as a farmhand. I’m learning this trade and he says I’m a natural. I’d like to think he’s right.”

 

Ray shut his mouth and his teeth snapped with an audible _click_. The few friends he’d made in the village beside their farm had always teased him about over-sharing. It was something his father said he did when he felt comfortable and that he should watch his tongue at the palace. _I’d promised to be quiet._ He smiled tightly, hoping he hadn’t lost the lord’s interest.

 

But Ryan kept smiling and he had his head slightly cocked. He was so obviously paying attention and it made the gardener smile back more naturally, happy to have someone patiently listening to his silly rambling.

 

“He was right to put trust in you. I may not know much, but I can see when a flower is alive and healthy.” The Alpha moved closer, and Ray had to force himself to take a half step back so there was some modesty between them. The older man wasn’t fazed but he was looking at the flowers now, bringing a hand out from behind his back to run a knuckle over a full blossom. “Well, Ray, tell me – how do you properly treat these roses?”

 

Sensing he truly meant it, Ray started explaining the particular watering patterns of the flowers and how he had to make sure they were planted either somewhere that would shade during noon or near the wall (they were too delicate for direct sunlight all day). He described how they usually came to plant just as twigs and they could bloom to be several different colors. Ray told him about the stories of death and blood the Romans and other scholars across the sea had given the rose, and how his mother told him that in Dorne they were symbols of love and passion.

 

“A blossom of the heart, she called them,” Ray admitted shyly, glancing at the lord as he slowly made his way down the fresh bushes to prune away the dead bits. “More potent than poetry or music to win affection.”

 

“Interesting,” Ryan mused, finding himself staring at the boy when he bent down to inspect the lower stems. He shook his head and reminded himself to be polite. He genuinely found the boy's stories to be interesting and he wanted to hear more, but the movement of the tunic billowing around his skinny limbs was mesmerizing. After a while Ryan felt himself loosen up, the mask of the ruthless king he was forced to wear everyday falling away piece by piece to reveal a side of him he almost forgot existed. He joked along with the boy, practically lighting up when he got him to laugh. It was a tinkling, graceful sound and it spilled out of such _shapely_ lips.

 

Ray turned to face him, chuckling about the comparison Ryan had made between poetry being the fruit of love and terrible song being its murderer, and the Alpha was struck by how the unpresented boy looked bathed in a heavy shaft of sunlight. It was ethereal and in that moment it felt like the gods were trying to tell him something.

 

So when Ray said he had to get back to worry, and he was sorry to have taken up so much of his time, Ryan found himself bowing at the waist to the gardener. Ray's gasp echoed between them. “It was more than a pleasure to meet you.”

 

When the Alpha raised up the boy was just staring at him uncertainty.

 

“My lord – _Ryan_ – would you like one to take with you?” Ray asked, taking out his small shears and biting his lip endearingly.

 

Ryan experienced true surprise at the gesture. These roses, the ones he as the king had special ordered, obviously meant a lot to Ray and here he was offering him one. The boy seemed hopeful and the thought of turning him down upset his stomach. “Only if it would not bother you. They're yours, as you said. I wouldn't want to hurt them.”

 

The boy's tongue darted out, leaving his lip shining, “I could show you, if you'd like?”

 

Ryan's heart skipped a beat at the prospect. “Please.”

 

Ray nodded and insisted he take the shears despite the uncertainty in the Alpha's eyes. Ryan stared down at the tool but didn't move to use it. He'd never touched them before. Ray smiled indulgently and blanketed the older man's hand with his own, urging him to open the shears and put them to the base of one of the fuller blossoms. They stood shoulder to shoulder, body heat passing between them.

 

“Be careful of the thorns, my lord,” Ray murmured as he watched the man's finger barely graze one of the bright barbs. “You want to go above them.”

 

Ryan was breathless as the boy ran his thumb soothingly over the scratch on his hand.

 

“You have to cut at an angle to keep the stem alive and to encourage a new bloom,” Ray explained gently, eyes darting over to the other as if waiting to be pushed away. Ryan listened attentively but his eyes were trained on where their hands touched, a tingling sensation flowing through him starting at the contact. Maybe it was because he often wore gloves and didn't physically _touch_ a lot of people. He hadn't scented with anyone his father and brothers had passed, since he was a spry young Alpha looking to bed any pretty maid that came along. But this felt like something more intense.

 

_Snip._

 

Ray tilted the lord's hand to cup the flower as it fell. He prodded the petals very carefully and they fell open gracefully to show the rose's full glory.

 

“And there you are,” Ray announced, taking back the blades to hook them firmly in his belt. “It'll be that beautiful for a day or two before it begins to wilt so I suggest adding it to your dining or bedside table. Three days after being cut, it should be thrown into a roaring hearth before midnight. A gift for the gods, and a beseeching for good luck.”

 

The gardener closed his mouth again rather sharply.

 

“You do your trade proud,” Ryan found himself saying. “I will do so, young sir.”

 

“ _Ray_ , my lord. If it pleases you.”

 

“And _Ryan_ , for it pleases me greatly,” the Alpha teased back, drawing another surprisingly happy chuckle from the boy.

 

“Then it is so,” Ray announced, rubbing his sweaty palms across the sides of his breeches. “I must return to my duties, my lord – Ryan.”

 

Ryan nodded slightly, indicating he must got back to his own. He didn't bother correcting or chastising the boy for the title. Ray must have spent his entire life bowing and scraping to lesser men, it was probably a natural instinct by now. He was a boy who could be easily overlooked.

 

 _Not anymore_ , he mused, greedily drinking in the boy's sheepish smile.

 

o0o

 

Late into the night, with the moon fat and full in the sky, Ryan sat alone on his too-large bed. The curtains were drawn around the frame except for that facing the window. Moonlight spilled upon the silk sheets and overstuffed pillows, the crimson and ivy colors of his house looking muddy and dull compared the the bronzed form of the king that sat upon them.

 

Ryan was bare of any finery, stripped down to how he came into the world without an ounce of shame, cross legged and pinch-browed. In his lap he cradled the wine colored rose the gardener had given him, soft and sweet between his palms with it's delicate scent. Not unlike the boy that had given it to him. He stared at the swirl of the bloom, puzzled yet content. He thought of Ray, the hidden flower of the garden, and his unexpectedly warm touch. Were all sons of Dorne so warm or was this boy special with his botany and his fiery words? The endearing child who had risen like fanned flames and then curled into smolders the moment he thought he talked too much. Ruffled dark hair, eyes as rich and dark as the soil that had stained his clothes. A strip of a boy, really, as plain as the bare roots that had the potential to grow such luxurious creations.

 

It had been so long since anyone had treated him the way Ray had. Even his tutors had not held his attention like that, though they had been old men and nothing to look at. This unpresented child had truly taught him something. _Him_ , the king. There was no pretense, no doubletalk, no hidden dagger to watch out for. Ryan had just been a person, and the boy had spoken to him not for political gain or because he was forced to – but for the pleasure of his company. The subtle blushes when he laughed, the stammer when they would get too close, even the way he'd nearly tripped over his own feet while getting caught up in describing the different colors of roses had been endearing. It was such a novel feeling, one he did not get very often.

 

Ryan liked the lingering sensation and he decided right there and then to make it a point to visit the roses in the garden as often as possible.

 

 _Ray._ The name echoed in his mind, each letter branding itself upon him like a tribal mark. His lips curled into a smile while he buried his nose within the flower, inhaling deeply. _Yes, that will do nicely._

 

 

 

 

 

 


	9. "Lord" Ryan - Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sometimes I wish I could be a gardener,” Ryan murmured the admission like a horrible secret, eyes hooded. “To work hard in the dirt, to make things grow…I know it is not an easy path, but it would be simpler, I suppose.”

**The Trials are something we'll learn about in a later chapter. Basically, they're based off the "King" system the boys play at in Minecraft, deciding who's the king through games and stuff. Later, later...**

 

* * *

 

The castle towered over the garden on one side higher than any other, the East Wing rising up to present it's stained glass window towers and fine archways to the kingdom. The sun always set upon its grandeur and cast the garden in shadow. But the mornings...the mornings were glorious. Fresh sunlight, eager and helpful, spilled upon the vines and petals in the parody of a loving kiss.

 

And that kiss fell upon those who tended it as well.

 

Gus and Matt were chatting between themselves with Burnie following behind them, the Lord Commander tired and exasperated at such an early hour. Geoff trailed along, keeping an eye on the king as the royal steps slowed to a standstill. The rest of their party continued on around the corner, chatter fading away. Ryan was leaning against the ledge and looking out below with a rare, soft expression. Geoff sighed to himself and moved up to the window beside it, searching for what had stolen their monarch's attention.

 

There was a boy moving among the flowers in the garden, a pail in his hands and carefully watering each. It was dressed simply and already smeared in dirt, dark hair and tan skin showing the coloring of Dorne. Geoff rolled his eyes and took a swig from his hip flask. Thirty winters was a great many to see – he felt much too old to be dealing with kings and their affairs.

 

“Is that the bed-warmer you've been slipping off to see lately?”

 

“Geoff,” the king's voice was deceptively soft and it changed the knight's scowl into a confused frown, “We have been together for a long time, have we not? We trained together as boys, we fought in The Trials together and since then you have fought in every war I've fallen into.”

 

The memory of the Realm's greatest and oldest tradition made Geoff shudder. That had been a dark day and he'd lost a lot of childhood friends that way, as had Ryan. And most of them by their own hands. He had scars to remind him every night of it, and only wine quelled the nightmares. Only he, Jack, and their king had lived through and only at Ryan's mercy. “You spared my life that day, sire. I am yours, until the end of days. For I expect on the next Trials Day I will be far too old to care who rules."

 

“We forged a bond that day,” Ryan stated with hooded eyes. “So I will tell you something and expect it to go no further.”

  
“Or my skin will be stripped and fried and fed to the dogs,” Geoff drawled lazily, taking another pull from his flask. “You trust very few, sire, but I have no reason to betray you.”

 

“That boy down there intrigues me,” Ryan confessed, resting his chin on his fist. “He's sweet, an endearing lad, and he speaks to me like I'm just another person." 

 

“Oh,” Geoff exclaimed, cheeks ruddy from more than alcohol, “Forgive me for my crudeness then, sire. I haven't spoken to him myself. He would talk to the king so commonly?”

 

“I dressed in disguise,” Ryan admitted with a tiny smile, admiring the boy's tan skin in comparison to all his pale-faced subjects. “He has no idea who I am. He thinks I'm a lowly lord and I don't plan to let him know different any time soon. I've been visiting the garden to talk to him again but he seems nervous now.” His lashes lowered. “He's a shy flower, closing his petals when night comes.”

 

“Are you comparing yourself to a shadow among the hedges, sire?” Geoff raised an eyebrow. “How poetic. Shall I write that down?”

 

“Whoever tells the boy my identity shall be beheaded before the sun sets,” Ryan stated almost idly. “Tell those who need to know that. I shall do my best to stay away from courtiers in the garden but I will not hesitate to punish those who ruin my fun.”

 

“Your fun?” Geoff echoed, watching the boy haul sacks of fertilizer from the wagon to a cleared patch of land. “Playing with unpresented boys is unbefitting for a king.”

 

Ryan pushed away from the ledge. “Either you will be privy to my affairs or you can judge me. You cannot have both, Geoff.”

 

“As you say, my king,” Geoff replied in that automatic way that came out whenever his king's tone turned dark. “Shall we join the others or would you like to admire the flowers some more?”

 

Ryan sighed hard. “Yes. Let's.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

A few days later, Ryan tucked himself away in the same high window to watch some workers unload the new myriad of flowers he'd ordered for the garden. He hid his smile behind his knuckles as the boy gushed loudly to the servants, demanding to know if these were all really for him. The nameless Betas seemed pleased by the boy's enthusiasm and they even agreed to help him move the special soil and the bags with the plants for him.

 

Ryan sighed to himself as the boy started to bounce around the garden, chattering out loud about where the flowers could go and how this was all unexpected. Even from so high up he could still see the boy's brilliant, pleased smile. It was amazing how a small gesture brought such joy to the child. He would have to find different styles and colors of plants to keep the little gardener happy. It made his heart ache in the best way to see Ray twittering around like a small, excited bird.

 

The king decidedly ignored how much like courting this felt. Geoff was starting to tease him more and more but everyone else seemed oblivious to anymore than his lightened mood. Now if only he could get Ray to speak to him again.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ray wasn't particularly proud of the way he ducked and hid away in the garden but it felt like survival, something in his gut feeding him a new and bitter uncertainty. There was a fear underlying it all – a fear that this lord was teasing him, baiting him somehow. After all, he'd yelled and struck him during their first encounter. Though the Alpha had been sweet enough, the gardener was still scared that some kind of revenge would be evoked.

 

Ray was just a peasant, after all. A son of a peasant who happened to have an official title, one Ray himself would one day inherit. If he upset a lord he could be dragged before the king and thoroughly punished. Every time he thought on it too hard he could feel the phantom sting of a nine tails on his back.

 

Lord Ryan – the handsome stranger, the mystery, the source of his anxiety – started visiting the garden quite often. Always in his plain riding pants and billowy shirts, hints of his tan chest showing through and making the boy blush. Those long, lace boots were always so gentle on their way through the garden, careful so as not to crush the flowers. And his touch had gentled since their first meeting, the way he handled the flowers now with more care and respect.

 

On this particular day Ryan seemed to be fascinated with the short-bed violets, the purple blossoms tickling the lord's palm as he caressed them. Ryan was kneeling down beside them, carefully tucking his thumb through the petals to feel their texture.

 

Ray hid behind the thick, tall stalks of sunflowers. He slowly walked along them, eyes on the lord and fingers trailing along the stems, the heavy flowers creating a sort of curtain between the only two in the garden. He was captivated by the Alpha, he would admit that, and he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away. A dozen different greetings stuck in his throat but all the boy could do was peer between the stalks and imagine what could be.

 

Ryan seemed to be oblivious of his presence, gaze focused on the blooms and expression the very essence of _docile_ , and Ray felt his heart unraveling and reaching for the other.

 

Was he losing himself to this stranger?

 

o0o

 

Ray must have known that he couldn't avoid the kind lord forever.

 

The gardener was crouched in one of the tall trees that had grown in the corners of the garden since long before he was born. Before the castle was so large, before the Haywood name was even known, the trunks thick and proud. The leaves were crowded together and a rich green, giving him a shield to hide behind.

 

The moment he saw Lord Ryan coming down the path, Ray had climbed up with a graceful swiftness that came from years of practice when he was a child. He'd perched upon the most covered branch and waited with bated breath as the Alpha got closer and closer. His heart was pounding in his ears and his palms started to sweat against the bark. The lord stopped at the bend of the path, only about a dozen feet away, and started stretching his arms above his head. It was casual and smooth, the sun beating down upon him and highlighting the thick muscle of his shoulders.

 

And then Ryan took a step off the path, eyes on the tree the gardener was hiding in.

 

Ray eased back, putting a hand over his mouth to muffle his breathing, but the branch groaned underneath his weight. He wobbled, both hands scrambling for something to hold onto, but the wood was already splintering. The boy yelped and tried to grasp for another branch but it was all suddenly out of his reach. His stomach bottomed out and the world went weightless, vision blurring into smears of color and body drawing on itself in a bone-deep impulse to protect itself.

 

There was a yell and then everything stopped, a pair of solid arms catching under the legs and across the back. It took a few moments before Ray got his bearings but when he did he was blinking into a surprised face and his hands were clutching broad shoulders. The lord held him tightly, cheeks pink from the exertion of running to snatch him out of the air. They were both dusted in fine bits of bark and leaves, the fallen branch laying at their feet.

 

“Well it seems like flowers fall from the sky here in the royal garden,” the lord chuckled good-naturedly. “Are you alright, Ray?”

 

Ray opened and closed his mouth a few times before a sentence popped out of his mouth. “You remember my name?”

 

Ryan nodded. “Of course.”

 

“I'm sorry, my lord, I was just...the tree needed pruning,” Ray blurted out, starting to wiggle out of the man's grip. “Thank you for saving me. Y-You can put me down, my lord, I'm fine.”

  
“Are you sure?” Ryan questioned, tightening his grip and holding the gardener close to his warm chest. “That was a long fall.”

 

“You caught me, my lord, I'm safe,” Ray smiled shyly, pawing at the man's shoulders to be let go. “Please. I can stand.”

 

“Of course.” The Alpha nodded and slowly let him down, idly fixing the gardener's clothes from where they'd been ruffled. “You must be more careful. You don't weigh anything but these trees are too old to be having handsome young boys climbing all over them.”

 

“My lord,” Ray laughed softly.

 

“I've missed you. I keep coming here hoping to find you but you seem to be busy with your tasks,” Ryan pointed out.

 

“We must have missed each other,” Ray lied, smoothing his hair down and trying not to think too hard about the man fixing his clothes. “There are many duties that keep me busy. I'll try and keep an eye out for you in the future, my lord. Is there something particular you needed me for?”

 

“Yes,” Ryan stated, crossing his arms, “You can start with calling me by my name. There is no one here to impress, is there?”

 

Ray smiled nervously. “I-I suppose not... _Ryan_.”

 

“That's so much better,” the lord breathed, smile returning. “You seem to have a good collection of new flowers, little one, and I'm afraid I'm not familiar with a single one. If you're not too busy, I would request a walk with you so that you might educate me on their properties and uses.”

 

Ray snorted crudely. “How long do you have?”

 

Ryan grinned at the boy's casual attitude. “All afternoon, if you can spare it.”

 

Ray thought it over for a few moments. “I have to till some soil to replant some of the vegetable patches. Would you like to...to join me? If not, that's more than alright. We can speak while I work. It's not too distracting.”

 

The lord frowned deeply, and he mistook it for displeasure. “I've never tilled soil. It's not hard?”

 

“It's specific, and you have to know how much enriched dirt to mix in. Some of the plants are delicate,” Ray explained, feeling light-hearted. “I can demonstrate it?”

 

It was Ryan's turn to mull the whole idea over. His hand suddenly reached out and took the boy's hand, pulling him back toward the path. “Come. Show me.”

 

Ray nodded and started explaining what the process entailed, but all he could think was, _He's holding my hand._

 

o0o0o0o

 

It became easy between them. Ryan got better at finding the gardener's hiding spots and sniffing out his delicate scent amongst the perfume of flowers. Ray's shyness slowly ebbed away and he stopped ducking behind hedges when he spotted the Alpha taking his walks through the garden. Their conversations started off only about flowers and uses of the plants that existed between the beds, but it slowly branched off into other topics. The farm Ray's family owned, the crops it produced, what the land could provide if they had more workers. The kingdom, the other farms surrounding it, and – after some prodding from the lord – the availability of food and it's prices in the market.

 

Ryan listened with rapt attention to the gardener's words and often with a strange smile that seemed gentle but hinted that he may be holding something back. But Ray never questioned him on it – it wasn't his place.

 

And as Ray taught “Lord” Ryan how to turn over soil and how deep to plant herbs, new plant based soil was ordered by the king and commanded to use over the manure mix. The lord seemed more than pleased by this change than Ray Sr. was.

 

“Now it doesn't smell like a farm,” Ryan pointed out, dipping his fingers in the new bag of enriched soil that had been delivered before the sun came up.

 

“Hey, milk-drinker, I grew up on a farm,” Ray defended, fists on his hips.

 

The lord had gone pale and had looked so jolted, so ashamed, that Ray could not help but instantly forgive him.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ray went about his days with a new, lighter smile and more enthusiasm for his job than ever before. His father took notice and was pleased to see his son excelling so well after only half a season of being thrown into his task. Ray was sent in his place to the royal garden almost every day. Being surrounded by the castle so often, going through the back entrance and side halls, one couldn't help but start to think about the king hidden away in the heart of the stone walls.

 

Ray knew court was held for the nobles and villagers and gentry to come to King Haywood and make requests, demand judgment, or solve border issues. He'd seen the lines that formed on those days and they could sometimes go out onto the draw bridge. People were torn between fear and need and those brave enough came to the castle with nervous hearts and twisted fingers.

 

So the gardener looked up at the stained glass windows, dirt under his nails and surrounded in weeds, and wondered what King Haywood was truly like. He must have been wonderful to rule the vast Realm yet have a moment to bring a bit of natural beauty to the cold stone castle. The flowers were beautiful, and the present of the Dornish roses was thoughtful and more than kind. A welcome gift for the son of a peasant who happened to be attached to a royal title? Every time Ray looked at the flowers he was overcome by the gesture all over again.

 

There were rumors, though, dark and leaking through the kingdom like shadowed coils. The forbidden term _Mad King_ seemed to hover in the back of everyone's minds, only coming out in secret or when too many drinks were had. There were stories of impromptu beheadings and ruthless decisions made with little thought – that the king was rash and bloodthirsty, riding into battle with the markings of his status as a challenge to his enemies to _try_ and slaughter him. They spoke of icy eyes and a crown like horns, of a dark blade that had tasted the blood of a thousand men.

 

But Ray was skeptical of such terror while being constantly surrounded by the king's generosity.

 

o0o

 

It took some time for the lord and the gardener to build a real trust between them but once Ray was sure the man wasn't out to hurt him he repeated the rumors and shared his thoughts. He did this while they were walking along the hedges looking for imperfections. The snip of the shears filled the silences and Ryan listened, but there was a tightness in his jaw and around his eyes.

 

“I believe I've grown a little scared of him, the king, holed up in there,” Ray admitted, looking to the high windows as if the king was looking down upon them. “But even if the king really is mad, or if he's not...he must have a good heart to keep so much space open for the beautiful flowers to live and breathe, to thrive, right?”

 

Ray looked to the lord with a hopeful expression.

 

Ryan sighed, feeling defeated by the boy's expression alone. He ran his hand over the hedge until his fingertips brushed the back of Ray's hand, the flesh seeming infused with sunshine and poured warmth through his fingers.

 

“It's wonderful that someone as beautiful as you could blossom within these walls as well.”

 

The boy's little mouth dropped open in surprise and he colored up as darkly as a Dornish rose. Ray quickly looked away and drew back his hand, clearly more embarrassed than he'd been when he'd fallen out of the tree all those weeks ago. “My lord. You are too kind. You should save such sweet words for the maids of court. Surely they would appreciate them more than me.”

 

“Yet I would not mean them half as much,” Ryan confessed, running his knuckles along the boy's arm having been denied his hand. “Nor would they be half as deserving.”

 

“Your time in the court has made you an expert seducer, my lord,” Ray shot back, lightly batting away his hand. “You will not find me a simpering mess like those you surround yourself with. I see through those candied words and wolfish smile.” Ryan's smile faltered in surprise. “An Alpha coming into the garden to see me – a possible Beta – and saying such things? You _rogue_.”

 

The boy's teasing grin softened the words and it took Ryan much too long to realize he was being played with. His laugh started out as a nervous sputter but soon erupted in a belly laugh. It had been years since he'd been called on his fluffed up nonsense and Ray was like a breath of fresh air. _What a charming creature I have found among the roses._

 

“You've caught me, young one. Forgive me.”

 

“Nothing to forgive, my lord.”

 

Ray quickly knelt down to start pruning the lower branches, more to hide his pleased smile than to cut away imperfections.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ray tended to babble when he was with his father. Papa Narvaez was always happy to listen and would sit and relax while his boy told him all about his day. And he in turn would share the brief details of his farm work, reminding his son that there was always other work for him to do if the royal garden became too much.

 

The subject of a certain lord within the gates of the garden came up more and more, and it soon came to a point where his father became curious. Courtiers usually stayed away from the foliage, preferring the mess halls or the balconies for their gossiping. “What's his name again?”

 

“Ryan,” Ray replied easily, sure fingers mending the ripped seam in his father's tunic. The needle slid easily through the fabric, well-spun thread slowly pulling it all together under his coaxing tugs. “Lord Ryan, I'm sure. I've never asked his last name, though, it didn't seem polite. And you know how the courtiers are – it would probably just be the name of the land they own. Which is a silly way to go about identifying yourself if you ask me.”

 

“My little rebel,” his father laughed softly, still mulling over the title. “I don't recognize that name.”

 

“He dresses plain but he carries himself like one of them.” Ray paused in his work. “I never asked him what his duties were. I should, next time I see him.”

 

His father still looked frazzled.

 

“Maybe he's new, Papa,” Ray shrugged, unconcerned, returning to the stitches. “They flow in and out like water and they've all started to look the same to me.”

 

“If that's true, be careful,” his father advised, checking the lacings of his son's shoes to gauge when they would need to be replaced. “Lords and Knights alike tend to think people like you and I as below them. I would hate to hear you have been taken advantage of. Look at these hands.” His father fanned out his fingers, which were calloused from years of hard work and a little swollen from the cold breeze that had swept in this morning. “It would take me half a day to shatter every bone in his body for touching you. Would you really wish that upon your old man?”

 

Ray snorted out a laugh. “Papa, please. It's not like that. He's an Alpha lord – what interest would he have in someone like me?”

 

“You have so much to offer the world, my boy, I've always told you that,” his father assured him. “You will make someone a fine husband one day. But only after a proper courtship.”

 

“Yes, you've told me a dozen times already.” Though he complained the knowledge that his father thought so much of him gave him great pride. “Besides...I think he's different.”

 

His father hummed and leaned back in his chair, the cushion feeling good against his aching hips. He closed his eyes and decided to let it go for now. After all, if someone was messing with his boy, he would go straight to the king. _He's a fair man. He'd see that my boy is too special to be just another toy for the court._

 

o0o0o0o

 

“No. You have to cut from an angle.”

 

“ _This_ is an angle.”

 

“No, _this_ is an angle. _That_ is a monstrosity. An affront against nature.”

 

Ryan huffed, tempted to toss down the shears. “Listen, boy-”

 

“Don't 'boy' me, my lord.”

 

“Explain to me what I'm doing wrong,” Ryan demanded impatiently, feeling irritated for messing up what should be a simple task, “Show me the workings.”

 

Ryan snorted behind the hand that was trying to hide his laughter. “The _workings_ Ryan? You truly are nobility. It's a simple cut. Here, take them up again – stop pouting already – take them up and...”

 

Ray's voice trailed off as a harsh burst of laughter came from nearby along with the shuffling of soft shoes against stone and the swish of fabric. They caught a glimpse of a party through the plants the path curved around and they seemed to be heading right toward them. There was the usual flash of cold panic that came with being near courtiers but Ryan went stock still beside him, the color draining out of his face and the shears nearly slipping from his limp fingers.

 

“Ryan-?” Ray let out a low grunt as he was taken by the hand and dragged him further down the path, the Alpha's eyes darting for something he wasn't sure of. “What's wrong? They'll pass in a moment.”

 

“I'm dodging my duties being here,” Ryan confessed with a cringe, “If they recognize me, I'll be...punished.”

 

There was something strange in his friend's tone and Ray couldn't bear to hear it a moment longer.

 

“Quick, then.” He grabbed Ryan's hand with both of his and pulled him toward the heavy rose hedges, so much fuller and taller now with months of growing and care. Ryan pushed his reluctance away and followed the boy's lead, the thick hedges coming into view. The plants towered over both their heads and Ray gently urged him through a thinner part where the bushes hadn't been planted close enough together. Ray disappeared first and it was like he vanished.

 

Ryan looked over his shoulder and saw the group approaching so he pushed through the hedge, branches tugging at his clothes and scratching his face and palms. It took a moment for him to break through on the other side and when he did the world was cast in shadow. Ray shushed him and grabbed his sleeve, tugging, and they both hurried along the back wall with the goal to get to a vine-laced door that led out of the garden. But their feet caught on some roots and they got tripped up, both silently flailing before they fell all over each other. They tumbled together to the grass and laughed breathlessly as they sprawled, Ryan nearly swallowing the boy up with his broad Alpha form. They both were about to sit up and keep going but the courtiers came up alongside them, only a dozen feet away, and the two decided to stay.

 

It wasn't uncomfortable, Ryan half laying on the gardener and propping his head up on his palm, the boy tucking an arm behind his head like a pillow – it was nice, even. When they finally managed to meet each other's gaze it was with gentle, knowing smiles. The mindless chatter of the nobles washed over them it was like sharing a secret, hiding in plain sight, a forbidden chaste tryst.

 

They could see the courtiers from where they laid and they were a ridiculous, young gaggle with a high sense of themselves and too much time on their hands. One of the ladies, a young Omega girl with long blonde hair and big eyes, fluttered her lashes at one of the Alpha lords. It was a preposterous gesture and it made her look like a swooning cow. The nameless, lusty Alpha lord was no better with the way he grabbed the lass around the waist and dragged her into his body, nuzzling her bared throat so she giggled and batted her eyes even more.

 

Ray silently snickered at the wanton actions and turned his head to look at Ryan, fluttering his eyelashes in the same exaggerated manner and simpering like the lady had. The lord choked down a laugh and pressed his fingers to his mouth to avoid making any noise. But the boy kept making faces and pretending to flirt while the couple they were mocking squawked compliments at each other and carried on like inflated peacocks. Ryan lowered his hand to reveal a lavish grin, blonde brows waggling suggestively. Ray pretended to swoon on the grass, the back of his hand pressed to his forehead and eyes rolling girlishly.

 

Feeling bold and playful, Ryan dipped down and ran his nose over the side of his friend's throat. There was no real scent there but the parody of the young Alpha lord's own clumsy attempt was humorous, the expert motion over his pulse and across his premature scent gland would've scent an Omega into a tizzy. For the unpresented boy it softened up his whole expression and made his stomach fill with butterflies. Ray threw an arm around the lord's shoulders and drew him closer, allowing him to scent so delicately at his neck.

 

The whole thing felt playful and he wanted to indulge in it, even if it was just a small joke.

 

Ray gave in to his natural curiosity and moved his head up to breathe in the scent of Ryan's neck. His nose was weak but he could tell the lord's scent was warm and it made his mouth water. It somehow reminded him of the bread his father baked when it was fresh out of the oven. Ray liked it and he couldn't help but wonder what he truly smelled like.

 

The courtiers seemed to settle around one of the long benches, gossip passing between them rather loudly.

 

Ryan's sigh fell over his skin as the lord sat up enough to show off his tired eyes. He frowned and opened his mouth to say something, but the boy picked up what he wanted to say and put a finger to his lips. Ray nodded, granting permission. Ryan looked grateful before he shifted his weight down and rested his head on the boy's shoulder, the excitement of being caught having worn off to give way to heavy relief.

 

Ray kept an eye on the courtiers but he let his body go lax and his breath slow to an even, steady rhythm. He wanted to pet his friend's hair but he settled for slowly running his fingers between his shoulder blades. He could feel the heat of the Alpha seeping into his palm and it snaked all the way up his arm, feeding his comfort until he felt sleepy as well.

 

_This is nice._

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ray had finally convinced Ryan to get dirty. They were both up to their wrists in soil, the tomato plants waiting beside them to be planted at their particular depth. The pair had been joking lightly and wasting the morning away in each other's company. Ray teased the lord about how clumsy he was with the pre-bagged and potted plants and then marveled at how the Alpha immediately corrected his mannerisms and started carrying on with them like he’d done it for years.

 

It took almost an hour before Ray worked up the nerve to ask what he'd been thinking about for the past week. “Do you work for the king?”

 

There was a brief shock of tension in the lord’s shoulders but it didn’t last long. Ryan seemed to be skilled at hiding his agitation and Ray hoped he didn’t have to do that often with him.

 

“I’m sorry, sir, I did not mean to pry,” Ray spoke lowly, hoping to keep from invoking the man’s ire.

 

“It’s a fair question,” Ryan assured him, tossing his head toward the high wall of the castle, a lock of blonde hair falling over his sweat dampened forehead. “I work for the crown.”

 

Sensing there was no true irritation within his friend, he pressed on. “What do you do?”

 

“Various things, nothing very interesting. It can be, but,” Ryan grazed his knuckle over one of the sharp, yellow blossoms of the tomato plant by his hip, “I rarely see the fruits of my work, really. It often feels like I’m just doing menial, random tasks and rely on the hope that they are for the better of the kingdom.”

 

Ray’s trowel paused in the dirt as he watched the lord gingerly touch the blossom, enraptured as always when the Alpha showed gentleness to his beloved plants.

 

“Sometimes I wish I could be a gardener,” Ryan murmured the admission like a horrible secret, eyes hooded. “To work hard in the dirt, to make things grow…I know it is not an easy path, but it would be simpler, I suppose.”

 

“Ryan, my lord.” Ray chewed his lower lip, cheeks starting to darken. “You can help me here in the garden any time you wish. I rather enjoy your company.” His smile lightened the mood. “You’re already so good with them already!”

 

“Ah, you tease,” Ryan jested, frowning down at the hole in front of him. “I’ve already forgotten how far to dig.”

 

Ray scooted closer and shadowed the top of the lord’s hand, urging it within the small pit he’d dug. Their fingers brushed the bottom of it, the soil smooth and cool under their touch. “You want it as deep as your wrist for these fruits.”

 

“I see.”

 

Ray savored the press of their shoulders and hands for a moment too long before he managed to pull himself away, returning to his own spot. He gave quiet instructions on how to put the plant inside and untie the sting on the bag of soil at its roots, and then how tightly to pack the dirt. Truly he was chewing on another silly question and eventually it was released.

 

“So you’ve seen the king? Up close?” Ray inquired, waiting for the lord to nod with that strange smile of his before continuing. “This is a strange request, but I have always wondered – is he, that is to say…is he handsome?” The way Ryan’s brows shot to his hairline made the boy flustered. “There are rumors of golden hair but no one seems to describe him the same way.”

 

“I’m afraid I am not a good judge of appearance,” Ryan shrugged with one shoulder, trowel moving well to surround the flowering plant with firm walls of dirt. It was awkward at first but he soon got the motions down. “He looks like everyone else, I suppose. Like any normal Alpha.”

 

Ray’s jaw dropped rather comically. “You can’t talk about his majesty that causally, can you?”

 

Ryan shot him a grin with another shrug. “He’s not around to overhear us.”

 

“No…no, I suppose not.” The gardener hesitated before finishing off his plant. “Come. Finish that and I’ll find us something fun to do.”

  
While Ray showed him the secret berries his father had planted a few years ago, the fruits fat and ripe between their fingers, Ryan’s mind was a whir of contemplation. Ray was teasing him for staining his sleeve, the topic considered long over, when the lord brought it up again.

 

“I don’t think a crown makes a god,” Ryan stated, staring down at the grass and truly believing those words in that moment. He spoke in half-truths with Ray, not wanting to lie to the boy in all ways, but in this there was painful honesty. His crown was heavy and gave him great power over the Realm, but only because the people he commanded allowed that of him. He was about to spit out some curse about being called _divinely chosen_ didn’t make a king, how the crown was won through bloodshed in the gods honor but that didn’t make it divine, but then Ray crowded up close to him and put a thumb below his lips. The gesture was sudden, the smell of sweet berries and rich soil filling his nose.

 

“Don’t, please,” Ray begged quietly. “I know it’s just us here, Ryan, but I would not wish those words to fall upon the wrong ears. The king is said to be quite ruthless and I would not see you harmed because I make you feel… _comfortable_.”

 

Ryan felt his very heart melt at the words, a tenderness coming over him for the boy that was looking up into his face with an earnest expression that truly was not needed. _One day, youngling, I will tell you everything._

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ray soon learned that Ryan didn’t like to talk much, at least in the way of his work or much else about himself. He admitted that his father had passed, and his brothers died off in a war, but little else was shared. Seeing the deep pain and distress it caused the lord, Ray let it go and filled the silence with chatter of his own. He worried he was annoying Ryan and that one day the man would simply not return but his friend assured him he liked to hear about him and his life.

 

“I come here to relax and take my mind off my work,” Ryan mentioned in passing.

 

At the time Ray had simply laughed in his face and demanded he grab the bag of potting soil off the cart. “It weighs about as much as me, but should be no problem for a mighty lord like yourself.”

 

Ryan could never stay overly long, his true duties were always a weight in the back of his mind. Burnie was starting to get ruthless about how much time the king spent in the garden and Geoff was only good for a distraction if he was sober. All his free time was spent in the garden with his sweet, young friend. But he was losing sleep now, feeling stretched too thin throughout the day. He would never blame Ray for stealing his attention but due to his garden vacations he was getting behind. There were nobles to appease and banner men to command, subjects to hear, coins to be dealt out, food to be properly imported – and a whole slew of other things that Kerry had written down in the scroll he always carried with him.

 

His little manservant was getting more intelligent and quick-footed by the day. It had taken him nearly twenty minutes to shake the Beta lad the other day. _No one can find out. It’s bad enough Geoff knows, and I suspect Burnie does as well._

 

Because of this Ryan started to show up asleep on his feet, droopy-eyed and swaying a bit under his own weight. On these days Ray would prove his sweetness and urge the “lord” to lounge on one of the benches or upon the padded seats that sat below flower arches. He would give him water and bring fruits and vegetables straight from the vine to soothe any hunger he had.

 

Though he was tired to the bone, those were some of Ryan’s favorite days.

 

o0o

 

This day in particular Ryan stumbled past the garden gates with very little of his strength left. He was exhausted after hours of trying to settle his generals in the war room and another two riding out to see one of his holds and soothe the ire of its commander (something about a shortage of good steel). He truly should have gone to bed with a good meal in his belly but he’d taken one look at his plain clothes and decided Ray was much more refreshing.

 

Apparently Ryan had not quite gauged how tired he truly was because the moment Ray saw him he seemed to flutter into a panic. The Alpha found himself easily manhandled to the nearest shaded spot, the ground mossy soft under his palms as he was urged down upon it. They were off the usual path, away from the wondering eyes that would sometimes pass through the hall or along the stone trail. Ray found his cloak stacked neatly by his things and folded it up to create a suitable pillow. Ryan tried to talk his way out of it but the boy’s fierce glare shut him up quick.

 

“Down. You can’t tell me it’s not soft.”

 

Ryan nodded, sighing and going boneless against the moss and grass. It all yielded nicely under his weight. Not nearly as good as his bed, but somehow better in the way he could smell the fresh air and see the boy’s worried face and feel the breeze.

 

“I have half a mind to talk to the king,” Ray grumbled, looking the lord over. “I’d demand he stop working you so hard.”

 

Ryan’s eyes snapped open, “There’s no need for that.”

 

Ray settled more comfortably at his side and took the apple he’d been saving for lunch out of his pocket along with his small knife, the silver blade a gift from his father on his last birthday. He started to cut off slivers from the heavy fruit, gaze narrowing into a glare until the lord obediently opened his mouth. “I can tell you’re hungry and exhausted.”

 

The start sweetness of the fruit across his tongue made Ryan’s eyes flutter, growling stomach starting to subside with each small bite.

 

“My father speaks to the king regularly, they’re on good terms,” Ray continued, unaware of the buzz of panic going on within the Alpha’s head. “I’m sure I could get a moment of his time. You look terrible, Ryan, I hate to see you run so ragged.”

 

Ryan gently grasped the boy’s wrist as he went to feed him another slice of apple, probably his only food until he returned to his father’s home tonight. He ran his thumb along the delicate skin to feel the angry flutter of his indignation. “I’m no more tired than he is.”

 

Ray sighed in defeat and hushed him, demanding he rest. Ryan’s golden lashes fell shut and it wasn’t a few moments later before he was sleeping like a babe upon the moss. The peasant boy looked worriedly at the dark circles under the other’s eyes.

 

 _He must be important to be spread so thin,_ Ray mused, though the thought was lost as he started to make a mental list of all the herbs he knew that could help with relaxing muscles and promoting true rest. He didn’t leave Ryan’s side until the man awoke – they talked for a while, he was thanked graciously, and then the lord took his leave.

 

The moment he was alone, Ray started darting all over the royal garden with his smallest set of shears. Several different little sprouts and leaves were wrapped up to safely bundle within his pack. He took them home and there, after raiding their personal stock, he started pressing together rice paper packets and sealing them with old honey.

 

His father didn’t question what he was doing, he didn’t have to. Instead, he walked over to the dining table and laid a dried stalk of bruise-colored blossoms by his son’s elbow. Ray frowned thoughtfully at it, unsure what his father meant.

 

“Wood betony?” Ray asked reluctantly, unsure if he was getting the name right.

 

“To calm the mind and ease its aches,” Ray Sr. replied, tapping a finger to his temple. “Unrest lies not only in the muscle and joints, but upon our brow.”

 

He beamed up at his father. “Thank you, Papa.”

 

The older Narvaez patted his shoulder and walked away, muttering something under his breath that sounded like _a fine husband._

 

o0o

 

Ryan stared with wide eyes down at the small box between his palms, lid open to reveal a dozen set of bags. Ray was smiling at him with nervous anticipation, weight shifting from foot to foot and hands twiddling behind his back. The Alpha was uncertain what he was looking at. “What are they?”

 

“Tea bags,” Ray replied quickly. “You put the bags in a mesh over a mug and then you slowly pour boiling water over it. I’m sure your servants or cooks have made it for you before.”

 

“I suppose I’ve never seen the first step,” Ryan admitted with some embarrassment.

 

Ray had a vice-like grip on his knuckles, though the nervous tick was well hidden away from the man’s gaze. “I made them myself with what I’ve grown here in the garden. It will help you rest better and ease the aches of a long day. It works well, from what I’ve seen. My father takes a mug of something akin to it every night to help his joints.”

 

He closed his mouth before he could ramble on. “I know you work hard. I wanted to help you. Is that alright, my lord?”

 

“You made this just for me?” Ryan awed, lightly sniffing at the savory scent coming off the little bags. “I’m touched, Ray. Truly. Thank you.”

 

The boy seemed to flutter all over, bright smile showing he was pleased with the praise. “Don’t thank me yet. Try it. If it works I-I can make you more, if you’d like.”

 

“I’ll hold you to that promise.”

 

o0o

 

The next morning Ryan awoke fresh, the day-long throb in his head gone and his limbs feeling more agreeable than they had in weeks. He stretched and moved about his chambers, smile growing as he realized how _light_ he felt. He plucked up the box of tea bags Ray had given to him and ran his thumb over their fragile edges, breathing in their smell once more. The brew it had created tasted bitter and Burnie had been alarmed to see him drink something that didn’t come from the royal tasters or the kitchen, but it had warmed his belly and he’d insisted on downing the whole mug.

 

He would treasure them beyond all other exotic, luxurious brews or potions. It would be the only thing he drank at night unless his boy found other concoctions for him.

 

When Ryan next saw Ray he couldn’t stop himself from scooping the boy up in a bear hug and giving him a spin, tinkling laughter echoing in his ears. He sat Ray down and planted a brief kiss upon his forehead. “You’re a brilliant little witch, youngling. What magic did you place on me?”

 

“It’s no magic!” Ray contended, still chuckling as he tried to ignore the heat the other’s mouth left between his brows. “It’s botany, my lord. Simple herb work.”

 

“A gift from the gods,” Ryan insisted.

 

“Truly it is,” the gardener agreed. “It helped you, Ryan?”

 

“I feel refreshed,” Ryan promised. “I would pay you for your service.”

 

Ray frowned. “I would not take it. It is a gift between friends. I will make you as many as you like but I will not take one coin from you.”

 

Ryan’s heart tittered like a bird behind his ribs. “A tradesman who accepts no payment but my eternal gratitude. What a special breed of boy you are, Ray. You have great skill for one so young. I admire that.”

 

“My lord,” Ray blushed, ducking his head, “You and your silver tongue. You do me great service.”

 

“You deserve it,” Ryan pushed, cupping the boy’s shoulder and squeezing. “You truly do.”

 

o0o

 

Ray often thought of that day as the weeks went on and his bond with Lord Ryan strengthened. He told his father about the success of his tea and it nearly brought the man to tears. Ray Sr. dug through an old trunk and brought out a thick leather-bound book filled with his mother’s delicate handwriting. He explained to his son that botany was not just about beauty but about life, healing, and easing pain. Inside the journal a multitude of poultices, salves, teas, creams, oils, and even pure potions passed down through his mother’s side and now down to him.

 

“Use it well, Ray. If you truly have her gift, it will not steer you wrong.”

 

Ray wasn’t proud to admit that he cried in his father’s arms that night but he did, one hand on the leather journal and the other fisted in his father’s tunic as he tried to hide the tears and muffle his sobs. He missed his mother deeply, and seeing the recipes written in her hand…

 

It broke both their hearts.

 

o0o

 

Ray read the journal as often as he could and absorbed the knowledge like a sponge. His first real test came the day Ryan entered the gardens with a cut upon his lip.

 

“It’s nothing, I promise.”

 

But Ray would hear none of the lord’s humble words. Though he did not know that Ryan obtained the wound from a spy he’d found upon the guards and that said spy’s head was currently rotting upon the city gate, he knew that he did not like to see his friend hurt. Ray hunted through the low plants near the herb bed for the succulent almost-vegetable appearing formations. They almost looked like the pine-cones that came from the north but green and alive, sometimes flowering but always growing in clusters. He plucked on of their thicker pedals and made his way back to the bench he’d placed the lord on.

 

“Be still,” Ray commanded, dropping to kneel between the Alpha’s knees. Ryan surprisingly obeyed and parted his lips as well when instructed. The gardener broke the leaf in half and rubbed the silky, almost pearly mixture that leaked out over two fingertips. He dabbed at the wound with a look of concentration, trying to think of what else in the garden would help the skin heal.

 

“It’s a type of aloe,” Ray answered the unspoken question on the lord’s face. “It will take out the sting and prep the skin to scab. It should shave a day or two off healing. Don’t bite or pick at it and you should be fine. And whatever wounds you left on the man who did this to you, I wish upon them an infection that takes a finger or two. Rough lot, you Alphas.”

 

“He will not suffer,” Ryan promised with a dark gleam in his eye, trying not to rub his lips together to feel the balm. “It feels…cool. Thank you.” The Alpha pinched his cheek with a grin. “My little sorcerer. Surely the gods themselves kiss you in your sleep to bring out such talent?”

 

Ray thought of his mother’s journal and how he might share it with Ryan, explain her talents. He imagined them sitting under the shade of a tree, reading it together, discussing its secrets and imagining the plants he’d never heard of before, what they looked and smelled like. It was a sweet fantasy and he wiped it away as easily as he wiped the salve off on his breeches.

 

Ray felt inspired by the lord’s proud stare. He wanted to learn everything he could, not just for himself or his mother’s memory, but to show the noble more – to be even more useful. To prove he wasn’t some silly peasant boy who was losing his heart to his better.

 

He was the next Royal Gardner, after all.

 

o0o

 

“What’s he like?”

 

“Who, lad?” Ray Sr. asked before blowing on a spoonful of hardy stew. He swallowed it with a warm sigh, already feeling better than he had all day. It was late into the evening and the sun was nearly gone from the sky, their humble home filled with the scent of salty pork and bread. They sat by the fire together, he in his own and his son in the one his mother used to sit at. Looking at the chair, Ray Sr. could almost see his beloved wife holding their son and singing, laughing into the fire, dark hair falling in waves around her shoulders.

 

Now it was just his slim, unpresented son with the same dark hair and eyes. Usually he sat as tall as his mother used to, would chuckle and babble like she used to, but tonight had been quiet. Ray was picking apart his small loaf of bread, bowl untouched and tucked between his crossed legs. He’d cleaned off most of the dirt from the day’s work but he still looked tired. And strangely curious.

 

“The king.”

 

The answer nearly made him choke around his second spoonful. “The king?”

 

“I can't seem to get much out of Ryan.” He didn't like the casual way his son used the lord's first name. “He closes up when I try to probe too hard. What could he say that I would not be able to stomach?”

 

“That our gracious king can be a dangerous man to ask questions about,” his father pressed, hating the way his son seemed to draw in on himself. “It's the truth, my boy. Though I would call him my lord and sovereign, he is _wild_. You were not there the day of the Trials. You did not see what he is capable of. And I thank the gods every day that he has proven himself much more fair and just than the beast I witnessed that day in the arena.”

 

Ray fidgeted in his seat, voice quiet. “But Lord Ryan jokes about him all the time.”

 

“Then your lord is a fool,” his father huffed. “I will go to the gardens in your stead tomorrow. You have spent too much time with this Alpha.” The devastation on his son's face threatened to crack his decision. “He has nobility to protect him, Ray, _you_ do not. When I allow you back to the castle then you may tell him that if he values your friendship so much he will cease his talk of the king. He is our provider. He is why we eat, and why we may make coin on our particular skills.”

 

Ray hadn't felt so in need of a tantrum since he was a young boy. To be forbidden from the garden was a worse punishment than he could ever think of. He managed to keep his temper in check but his cheeks went ruddy, nose crinkled up. “You make it sound as if he owns us. As if we were slaves.”

 

“It's not slavery, it's loyalty. We belong to him and he wears us like a badge of pride,” his father shot back, sounding more like an Alpha than the Beta he truly was. “ _You_ belong to him, Ray. Never forget that.”

 

Sulking, Ray returned to his food.

 

o0o0o0o

 

It felt almost like courting in a round about way. Ray would create teas and different kinds of salve to soothe everything from scrapes to cuts to dry skin. One day he showed up with his first full bottle of cream and Ryan awed at the way it smoothed over his hands so that when he slid his gloves on it felt like butter, and hours later when he removed them they were just as smooth and there were no rough patches where the leather seemed to always rub.

 

“Dark magic,” he would always tease just to see the boy get flustered. Then he would insist he was amazed and flattered that the gardener would use his impressive skills on him and demand nothing in return. With each encounter, each shared bout of laughter, Ryan found himself fostering feelings – true feelings. Sometimes Ray would look up at him with that smile like pure sunshine and his heart would _twist_. It felt like friendship but much more, something he couldn't quite describe.

 

“Muchier,” Ryan laughed to himself one morning, taking refuge in the hall above the garden to watch his boy work.

 

They worked together in the garden and walked along the path, picked vegetables and fruits and piled them into woven baskets, dodged courtiers and servants and laughed behind their hands hidden within the sunflowers and the hedges.

 

One night they played hide and seek by the light of the fireflies, stifling their noises and using the shadows to their advantage. Ray had the advantage because he was skinny and flexible, and neither could really smell one another – one with a weak nose, the other unable to find the class-less scent among the flowers.

 

Ray was breathless with laughter as he raced along the path, stopping suddenly when he heard a twig snap. He cocked his head and listened closely, a rustle coming from further on. The boy moved along the low hedges to where a wall of panels had been propped for thick vines of ivy and grapes to grow up. He edged along with his back to them, eyes dancing over the rest of the garden, looking for a sneak attack.

 

But there was nothing – just the smell of fruit and dusk.

 

“Oo-de-lally!” Ray finally called, giving up. “You're too good, my lord.”

 

Silence.

 

“Ryan,” Ray whined loudly, huffing, a little upset with himself that a noble had outdone him in his own garden. “Oo-de-lally! You win this round.” _Wait, does he know what that means? Did he play the game the same as I did in the village?_

 

Two hands shot out of a deep shadow and dragged him in, a quick clamp of fingers keeping him from screaming.

 

“Ryan!'” he breathed loudly in delight and surprise when Ryan pulled him against his chest, the two of them backing up until the Alpha hit a tree. Strong arms curled around him, tucking him close, warm breath in his ear to stave off any chill he might have felt. Ray hummed and leaned back into him, soaking in the Alpha's heat, little fireflies buzzing around their feet and heads to ward off the darkness.

 

“Look.”

 

A finger tucked under his chin and titled it up towards the canopy. The branches cut thick, uneven slices of the night sky and hundreds of stars twinkled down at him. The farther north one got in the Realm the more brilliant the colors but here in the heart of the country it was painted in brilliant shades of blue. It was gorgeous and soothing, as if the rest of the world was asleep and they were privvy to a private show.

 

“No one but the gods can see us now,” Ryan whispered near his ear, the lord's eyes up at the fascinating constellations as well. “This garden is your domain, Ray. No matter what anyone says, this space is not for them – it's yours. Your family's. Never give that up. Never bend.”

 

The lord's hands tightened around him and Ray knew that the man was hinting at something darker than property. He pressed in as close as possible and tucked his head under the Alpha's chin, happy when the man seemed to relax and sigh into his hair. “Ours.”

 

Ryan frowned. “Ray?”

 

“It's our domain,” Ray insisted, turning around and smiling up into the man's face before he hugged him. He buried his face in Ryan's tunic and tried not to second guess himself. “I'm rooted here as deeply as the plants and so are you, my lord. Can this not be your safe place as well?”

 

There were a dozen heartbeats before Ryan's hand laid on the back of his neck in a protective gesture that made his breath hitch. “Yes, sweet boy. Our domain. Our safe place.”

 

They stayed up late into the night, Ryan not to be missed from his chambers and Ray decided it was much too dark for him to ride back to his family's farm. The lord insisted it wasn't safe. So they followed the fireflies to the back of the garden, far away from the path and the entrances. They sought out a padded bench beneath an ivory canopy with a thick patch of that spongy moss that Ryan had started to favor. The night was dry and cool so they put on their capes and settled in for the night, the younger taking the bench only after it was strongly insisted upon.

 

And only after Ryan took off his jacket and folded it up to serve as a pillow. It had taken more convincing for that gesture to be accepted but Ray was yawning and couldn't fight him off.

 

They laid on their backs to watch the sky but they stole looks at one another, talking about whatever came to mind as their eyes drooped. The village that Ray had grown up in, the games they would play, his favorite foods. They found something in common in the sweet memories of their mothers. Neither said much but they reminisced on how beautiful they had been, how they had both inherited their coloring...how their fathers had mourned them.

 

“Papa and I still light a candle on her name day every year,” Ray sighed, “He still loves her with all he has. He cries for her, but he laughs for her too.”

 

“My father didn't take it well,” Ryan confessed. “He closed off. He stopped smiling the day we burned her.”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

“Do not be, young one,” Ryan insisted. “It was the kind of man he was.”

 

Heads still turned toward each other, they started to truly fall asleep. Their voices trailed off into mumbles and they tried their best to stay awake but it was hard. They'd both been up since the sun had first risen in the sky and their lids were like lead.

 

Ray was overcome first and his soft breaths joined the night music of the crickets. Ryan crawled the last few feet to the bench and peered at the boy's sleeping face. He didn't want to say it but he felt himself falling in love with the way he looked just now, expression relaxed and peaceful.

 

He ran a finger down Ray's soft cheek and wondered how deep in he truly was with this unpresented child. _You've stolen me, garden flower._

 

o0o

 

Ray's eyes felt stuck together and it took him a few moments to realize where he was. Ryan and the garden, the game of chase and seek, the way they'd talked. He smiled and rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes, jaw cracking in a yawn. He turned on his side and could barely blink with how sealed his lids felt. He could truly only crack one open to look around. It was barely lit, the garden a cold grey to match the chill in the air. He shivered and pulled his cape tighter, brow knitting in confusion when he saw the slightly blurry shape of his friend speaking to a man clad in leather studded armor. He looked familiar, maybe a knight. Worry wiggled into his heart.

 

“Ryan?” Ray called hoarsely, voice rough from talking so late into the night, “Is something wrong?”

 

The knight's attention turned to him and he flinched. The man was an Alpha and his eyes, so much darker than Ryan's owned, seemed to cut right through him. Ray tried to curl into the bench and was about to start begging for forgiveness but Ryan came over and started to hush him, kneeling down and filling the boy's vision.

 

“Ryan?”

 

“It's so early, young one.” Ryan took off his cape and wrapped it around the boy, the rich material already warm from the Alpha's body. “Go back to sleep. I sent for your father to come take you home. You take the day to rest. But stay here for the moment. I'll wait for him.”

 

Familiar fingers carded through his hair and he started to drift off again, safe in the knowledge that the lord would watch out for him.

 

o0o

 

Something changed in Ryan after the night the two spent together. While Ray continued to practice his herbal healing skills on him with a vast number of concoctions, Ryan started to return the gesture. He listened even more closely to what the gardener spoke of, picking up casual complaints and needs. Some new clippers, a trowel, even the rickety wheel on the wagon that was used to haul the soil or plants from one end to the other.

 

“Are you really doing this?” Ray demanded after he arrived in the garden to find his shovel not mended but replaced completely.

 

“They're gifts.”

 

“Ryan!”

 

Ryan shrugged nonchalantly but the boy only glared. “What? I know how to acquire things.”

 

The wink and disarming smile the Alpha shot Ray made him laugh and there was very little he could do once the man put him in good humor. _What a high position he must be in, to afford all these things._

 

Admiring the shine of his new steel shovel, Ray decided to humor the thought that he might be besotted with his noble friend.

 

* * *

 

 

**[Want to know more about my update schedule?](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/98123930496/i-know-that-no-one-actually-cares-because-we-all)  **

 


	10. A Royal Couple's Secret - Part I

**I am beyond grateful for all your lovely comments and fanart and kudos and all the messages you send me. I am just terrible as reciprocating. But you make my day, and I'm not just saying that, because I love all of you**

**Have a suggestion? A prompt? A smutty idea? Something you want to see? A smutty idea? (I want smutty ideas and I'm shameless.)[Tell me.](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/)**

**And if you're wondering,[here's the chronological order](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/95604916006/and-life-is-wine-chronological-masterpost-wip)**

**Also -[Ray's nightgown/shift](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/98656950391/best-ref-pic-i-could-find-bu-that-face-cringe#notes)**

 

* * *

 

 

Haywood castle had a series of routines. When Ray became queen he easily settled into them, and when he received Michael and Gavin into his service they soon carved their own place among the staff and the halls. When Dan arrived it took a fortnight before they had the nerve to leave his chambers. He found his own routine as he slipped into his role as head of the Queen's Guard and became closer to the royal couple, becoming friends with them in a way as his heart softened and his loyalty strengthened.

 

King Haywood was fair but had the capacity to be just as fierce as the most bloodthirsty of Spartans. He had a cruel edge but it was hidden behind a control that seemed to be carved out of enforced steel. He could be generous and seemed to show his favor in strange ways. Dan was beaten bloody in the yard but it was to make him stronger, to hone his skills in the hardest way possible. But he learned and soon he could hold his own. The day he bested Geoff was the day the king embraced him, kiss warm on both his bruised cheeks, looking at him with pride and affection.

 

It was in that moment that Dan knew the king's intentions had been true – that he'd only wanted to make him into the best warrior he could be. Looking back, that was probably the day his allegiance truly shifted. Gazing up into Ryan's crystalline eyes and wide, genuine smile...every time Ryan cupped the back of his neck or stroked his back, ordered him close, stood too close...Dan was lost.

 

And the queen...the queen took his breath away every time they were in the same room. Though Ray did not possess a drop of noble blood and he'd only been on the throne for two seasons, the king had versed his Omega well in politics and taught him from scratch all the rankings and kingdoms within the Realm and all their different customs and courtesies. It was a lengthy process, one Ray worked hard at every day, and the remarkable boy soaked everything up like a sponge. Dan accompanied the queen everywhere and it rapidly became his greatest joy. Ray was bright and the sweetest scent, always smiling and chuckling, seeming to light up the castle with his taught grace. He had a big heart and his small hands held smooth callouses from real work.

 

The Rose Queen. Dark eyes and tan skin, every step taken like he was floating. Dan would never say it out loud but he was falling for the boy. It wasn't just loyalty, not after the first few months. Their long walks and discussions in the garden only sunk him in deeper. It was a sticky situation but one he gladly waded into. It was better to bask in Ray's happy presence than keep a cold distance.

 

In just four months, Dan truly became the Hound the kingdom called him.

 

Dan usually broke his fast alone but singularity was not something he wanted here in the unfamiliar land. At first Dan would simply eat with Michael and Gavin, invite his boys to his front room and dine with them, talk and scent sleepily as they got ready for their duties. If he required armor, Michael would help him into it, his skilled fingers working the ties and clasps without much effort at all.

 

But as the weeks went on and Dan grew closer to his king, he started waking up earlier. The royal couple rose with the sun and he followed suit. He knew it was inappropriate but he started hoping that he would be summoned to dine with them, to see them both soft and sleepy. His dreams were plagued with the idea, seeing them without their finery and personas in place. Not for any devious reasons but just the thought of them as more human was tempting.

 

Both were so handsome with wonderfully deep scents and to sit with them before there was a crown between them became his new obsession.

 

Then it started happening, almost out of the blue. Ryan had him summoned when the sky was still grey and when he arrived the king was mostly dressed and had his queen in his lap, the Omega wrapped up in a thick silk robe and fast asleep. It started happening more, eating with the couple in the mornings and evenings and discussing all sorts of things – laws, new trade routes, news from the city. It became a new ritual, a new routine, and it warmed his heart.

 

He was starting to really belong and it felt good.

 

o0o

 

Dan passed Joel and a guard he didn't recognize to pass through to the king's outer chambers, smiling when he saw Gavin yawning and setting the plates of food out on the table. Some mornings it was Kerry but Gavin liked to take his Royal Cupbearer role more seriously and he would often beat the Beta lad to the kitchen for the trays.

 

The king stood there in his kilt and a white tunic, frowning and arms crossed over his broad chest. Dan bowed low, resisting his usual impulse to drop to one knee in front of him. “My king.”

 

“It seems as if my wife has decided to sleep off his fast.”

 

That was not good. When Ryan referred to the queen as _wife_ it meant he was annoyed.

 

“There was a...disagreement between us last night. He seems to have held on to that through the night,” Ryan sighed. “Gavin. Fetch him out of bed for me. He needs to eat.”

 

“Allow me,” Dan protested, waving the young Omega off. “Go eat with Michael, you must be hungry.”

 

Gavin stopped beside him and kissed him on the cheek, smiling. “If it's alright with our king...”

 

Ryan flicked his fingers dismissively, staring out the window at the courtyard. His attention was gone, brilliant mind replaying the light argument about the crown's coin going toward a failing wheat farm that bordered the forest.

 

Dan urged the Omega to leave, shooting a smile in the king's direction though he wasn't being looked at. “I'll fetch the queen in a few moments, sire.”

 

“Good pup,” Ryan muttered, tapping his knuckles on the glass thoughtfully.

 

o0o

 

The soldier knights Ellis and Bolton were at the door to the queen's chambers. They were good training partners on the field and he knew them well enough to trust them at Ray's door. Burnie had personally picked them in lieu of a proper Queen's Guard and that was enough for Dan to put his faith in. They let him by with a nod. No candles were lit in the outer-chambers but all the curtains had been drawn back, probably from a tired Gavin before he'd gone to the kitchen.

 

Dan passed through them and headed around to the bedroom, knocking on the door. “Your Grace?”

 

“Go away, Gavin.”

 

Dan chuckled to himself and opened the door, the muggy grey of the morning the only light in the bedroom. The set up was simple, the few pieces of furniture within it overstuffed and made with soft material to encourage long candle-lit nights of reading. It was decorated in the crimson and silver of his house, which Dan was told the king had gifted upon the Narvaez family along with a seal and some lands for future siblings or cousins to take up when they came of age.

 

The bed was about as big as his own, the silver thread of the blanket catching the weak sunlight as it shifted under the queen's delicate breaths. Dan had awoken Ray on several occasions and the Omega could be stubborn so it required a certain touch and method. He grinned to himself as he snuck up to the left side of the bed, the queen's back and ruffled head of dark hair visible.

 

Dan struck quick, putting a knee on the bed and hands shooting out to tuck against Ray's side. There was a yelp before the Omega started to wriggle, laughter bursting out of him at the sudden tickling hit his senses. But Dan was relentless, chuckling as he reduced the queen to breathless giggling.

 

“Daniel! Gods, Dan, stop!” Ray wheezed, trying to curl up and thrash away at the same time.

 

“You're missing breakfast,” Dan tisked loudly. “You've upset our sovereign and your husband. Time for you to go make nice!”

 

“He was being an ass!” Ray declared petulantly, still squirming under the Spartan's teasing fingers. He got up on his knees, trying to get away, laughter filling the room. Dan's own joyous sounds started to join him, ecstatic to see the queen showing his age and free of the tight bonds he had to put on himself while in court. It was the same spirit he saw in him when they were out in the garden. He almost stopped when he realized that Ray was only in his sleep shift, a surprisingly female garment but uncommon for noble Omega boys. It was plain and white, a innocent contrast against his skin. The front slit, usually tied together for modesty, was gaping open to show off his slim chest. The leather chord that was laying limp and loose down his body. It was an indecent comparison against Dan's thin, leather armor that was more to show his status than protect.

 

Every time Ray jerked it sent another wave of fresh, pastry-like scent in the air. It was sweet and mouth-watering from the bottom of the dais during court, but up close and sleep-warm like this it was almost too much to bear. He wanted to bury his face in the boy's neck and _lick_. Just a taste. But it was strictly forbidden. Everyone who spent a few minutes in the company of the royal couple could see, clear as day, that Ryan was deeply in love with his Omega. Though the king had trouble expression his emotions into clear words, he was quick to prove his possessiveness and was eager to express that Ray was _his_. The way they touched, in public or when they thought they weren't being seen, was intimate. Whether it was in court or in the garden they were always tactile, the king caressing his queen's cheeks and hair and small shoulders like the boy was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

 

The Rose Queen was the real crown jewel of the Realm and was beloved by all.

 

Especially by his Hound.

 

“He's your husband and you're going,” Dan assured him, dragging the Omega up until they were back to chest. “I don't care if I have to carry you!”

 

“I'd like to see you try!”

 

Dan tickled him without mercy now, the boy's giggles more like squeals now as he playfully begged him to stop. They horsed around, pulling at each other, laughing carelessly, half-wrestling but Dan always dragging him back. Then he heard the sound. It was soft and gorgeous and it sent pure ice through the Spartan's veins.

 

Their situation hit him all at once.

Dan was clutching tight to the queen's heaving body, cock aroused and pressed into the boy's plump undercarriage. One of his hands had somehow clamped tight over the shift in the gentle curve of where his thigh met his stomach, fingers much too close to his groin and he couldn't feel any smallclothes beneath the fabric. Somewhere in their struggle the neck of Ray's shift had loosened until the neck was stretched wide, his broad palm laying over the exposed skin of the boy's chest and fingertips just barely touching the hardening flesh of his nipple.

 

And Ray...he was panting from more than exertion, skin chilled from the morning and stone walls but so _alive_ against his body.

 

Ray pushed against him, hips grinding in a slow circle and another moan falling out from between his smooth lips. Dan was about to pull away completely and apologized but the queen's hands shot up to grab his own. “Don't.”

 

“Your Grace?” he murmured

 

“Consider it a royal command,” Ray soothed. “I'm cold, Daniel, can't you feel it?”

 

Dan gasped as his hand was dragged down until his palm rested over the hard bud on the boy's chest, the sensitive skin seeming to shudder under his touch.

 

“You should warm me up.”

 

The queen's hands started to run over his arms, squeezing the muscle, one stretching back to thread through his hair. Dan was too scared to move but the petting felt good. Blunt nails scratched over his neck and he pushed into it, a rough grunt tugging out of his throat before he gave in and lightly sniffed. The queen smelled not only exotically sweet but there was a musk of arousal there now, the scent sending his blood rushing south.

 

“Perfect,” Ray breathed when he felt Dan harden against him, sounding as if he was smiling as he tugged the Spartan's hair. The slim-fit armor dug into his skin through his thin shift, the Alpha's natural heat bleeding into him and erasing the chill he felt. “My beautiful prince.”

 

Dan felt his ears burning, “My queen...”

 

“Our gorgeous Hound,” Ray's sweet voice had an edge to it now, fingers tugging in his hair until his lips pressed against the queen's throat. “Though you seem to have no claws or fangs with me.”

 

“Stop this,” Dan begged shamelessly, a cold sweat breaking out beneath his armor. Though his head was growing foggy with the Omega's scent he could still picture Ryan's eyes and how disappointed he would. No, not disappointment – _rage_. He wouldn't be sent back to Sparta on his shield, his body would be dismantled and his head put on a spike as a warning to all other Alphas who had thoughts of the precious Rose Queen. The same queen that was rubbing up agianst him, whining softly for something Dan wanted to give so badly but was too terrified to give. They had exchanged hugs and chaste kisses on cheeks, and he'd scented the queen's wrist in a royal offer, but this was more.

 

Ryan guarded his queen with a jealous fervor that was terrifying to witness. Dan had been ordered to cut off the hands of two different nameless nobles for getting too drunk and groping Ray at a feast. The young Alpha had done so gladly at the time but now there was a phantom ache in his wrists. He started to shake at the thought of being slaughtered – of being taken from the royal couple who he'd grown to care for and developed protective instincts toward, of being sliced from the world before he could return to his home country and right the wrongs that had been committed against him.

 

“The king would have my head. Please, we must not...if he knew, he would...” Dan's voice quivered along with the rest of him. “It's _inappropriate_.”

 

While Dan was overcome with nerves, Ray was enjoying the weight of the young Alpha against his back. He was exhausted from the late night and he'd thrown a tantrum about going to bed alone. Laying there with nothing but his pillow for company he'd thought of calling for Dan. Nothing else had sounded half as good as having his pup to cuddle but it was wrong. And Ray was sick of abiding by what was wrong and what was right. Ryan had been dancing around Dan for months and the Omega knew how they felt about the Spartan prince, policies be damned.

 

Why would the gods send them the beautiful Wolf King and twist their heartstrings to love him if they were not meant to act on those feelings?

 

“Am I not your queen?” Ray demanded, grabbing the Alpha's hand and guiding it from his hip down the length of his thigh.

 

“Yes, Your Grace,” Dan replied immediately, as obedient as always.

 

“Then hush, and think of me,” Ray commanded lightly, shivering when he had the man's hand starting to slide under his shift. The suggestive touch turned heated as skin met skin, goosebumps cropping up under the Alpha's fingers. Dan gasped by his ear and he knew the pup felt the same way he did. The lustful flesh pressing into his ass was definitive proof.

 

The Hound belonged to them in every way and he wanted to claim him properly.

 

The feel of Ray's bare thigh under his hand wiped every thought from Dan's mind and he felt his mouth start to water, the low notes of his own aroused scent mixing with the queen's. The Omega kept moving his hand up, fingertips almost on fire as touched softer places. The loose material of the shift gathered around his wrist, the sensation making it all the more indecent. The plumpness of Ray's thigh, the bump of his hipbone, and then the curve of his rump.

 

Dan jolted when his palm slid perfectly over the cheek of his queen's ass. “Gods.”

 

Ray hummed, lashes low and cheeks ruddy as he slowly let go of the young Alpha's hand. He smiled when it stayed in place. “Something nice to think about when you're scared or lonely, hm?”

 

Dan shook his head, every word he could think of stuck in his throat.

 

“Daniel,” Ray whined, curling his fingers around the man's other wrist, palm still nervously still and pressed against his chest, “You would let me go cold?”

 

Dan chuckled nervously, fingers flexing against the plump cheek under his hand. “You seem plenty _warm_ , my queen.”

 

Ray pouted and it showed in his voice. “Don't you like me?”

 

The coquettish words were so different from Ray's usual chaste nature – it shocked him.

 

“Don't you like how I feel?” Ray raked his fingers through the pup's hair, forcing him to move until he felt the man's mouth at his jugular. “Don't you like my scent?”

 

“You feel lovely, and your scent is-” Dan cut himself off, panting wetly against the boy's skin as he tried not to bite down on his fluttering pulse. He could feel his fingers twitching to explore the beautiful Omega so willingly presenting himself. “No...my queen...I mustn't.”

 

Ray hummed over the protest, “It's alright, pup, hush.”

 

“I can't,” Dan whined, taking a step back but freezing when the queen ordered him to.

 

“Don't leave,” Ray whispered like a secret, tugging him back by the hold in his hair, “I just started to get _warm_ , pup.”

 

The pet name the king had graced upon him hit him hard in the gut and pushed him just one step too far. His Alpha blood won over his rational thought and he gave in. He latched his mouth onto the queen's throat and  _worshiped_  it, lips and tongue tasting every inch he could find but his canines were kept firmly away from the tan flesh. Dan caressed blindly at the queen's chest and his fingers caught an impossibly soft nipple and _squeezed_.

 

Ray keened and pushed into him, tossing his head over the Alpha's shoulder.

 

“You're so beautiful, my queen,” Dan confessed, kissing just under the Omega's soft jaw. “Your scent, your eyes, your form – I haven't stopped staring at you since I arrived. You're captivating. When I was dropped on my knees in front of you it felt _right_.”

 

“Flatterer,” Ray teased, overjoyed to know that the man felt the same way. His eyes went wide as the Alpha's other hand finally came back. But this time it was not on his ass but sliding around to his stomach. He started to moan as Dan's hand crept down to the jut of his cock, fingers curling just right around his length without the hesitation he showed before. The shift was damp with his own sweat and was rucked up out of the way, sticking to him in places and making it more filthy.

 

“Daniel,” Ray moaned, rocking into the curl of the Alpha's fingers. It was better than he'd imagined, the Spartan's warm-sand scent mixed with lust and oil from his treated armor. It was different from his husband's own scent but they both held heat and it appealed to his Omega nature to be surrounded by Alphas with such nurturing scents. Images and dreams of the Spartan started whizzing through his mind and it started bursting out of his mouth.

 

“You want to serve me, Hound?” Ray smirked, eyes dark as he took pleasure in the Alpha's hand. “I should keep you in the Small Council chamber behind the throne room. Keep you on your knees against the wall so I could fuck your throat between processions. Would you let me hook a leg over your shoulder and fill up your pretty mouth, let you serve your queen like you want.”

 

Dan took a deep breath to reply, to tell Ray he'd wait all day on his knees if it meant easing his queen's tension, but he didn't get a chance because the door was kicked open.

 

The two tried to rip away from each other but Ryan had already seen them, pressed together and blissful. Ray fell forward on his hands, shift fluttering down around his thighs and covering his wet cock. He stared with wide eyes at his husband's snarling expression, the raw scent of his wrath cutting through the lust that had filled the room. The Omega quickly fixed himself and gathered his wits before sitting up. He held up a placating hand. “Ryan.”

 

Dan's trembling came back and he dropped to one knee at the bottom of the bed, head bowed to show off his nape in a submissive gesture that he hoped would save him. Guilt and shame flooded his system and his lower lip trembled before he bit down upon it. He could vividly picture his head on the city gate, his remains being burned. Would he punish Ray?

 

Ryan's hands balled into fist and a pure Alpha growl rumble through his chest and spilled out his lips. His canines had never looked so menacing nor had he ever looked so bloodthirsty in front of his queen. Ray moved quickly to sit on the end of the bed, legs swinging over the edge to shield Dan from his husband's burning stare.

 

“Be calm, I beg you.”

 

Ryan came at them with heavy steps and blunt determination. He easily shook off his queen's small hands and grabbed Daniel by the front strap of his armor, forcing him up off his feet only long enough pin him to the bottom of the queen's bed. A silver dagger was slid out of his boot and the tip was placed tight against the hollow of Dan's throat. The young Alpha struggled for a moment but then the blade cut his skin and he went limp, the king towering over him while he was forced to bend in an arch. Knees on the floor, shoulders digging into the edge of the padded mattress, hair brushing the silver blanket as he both bared his throat and tried to keep it away from the razor sharp dagger.

 

Ryan was glaring down at him, eyes full of of the madness the people whispered about and something along the lines of pure betrayal. Daniel's heart dropped into his stomach and shattered, the pieces mixing with bile. “M-My king...”

 

Ray was too far away to make a grab at it but he wasn't sure he could do it even if he was.

 

“Feel relieved, _dog_ , I finally caught you in your tryst.” Ryan's voice was stretched thin but his hands were steady. “This is when you should feel _absolution_.”

 

The world was drawn out as the blade tip started to spin, the young Alpha's breath stuttering when his skin gave way and blood started to well up around the silver. A thousand apologies filled his lungs and he tried to convey it with his eyes but he couldn't speak. He knew that if he said another word the king would gut him right there in front of Ray without pause or remorse.

 

Dan had never felt more worthless or low in his life.

 

“Ryan,” Ray brought his hand to his mouth, horrified at the idea of how quickly he could lose both the Alphas that he cared for, “Husband, _please_.”

 

“Have I not been satisfying you enough?” Ryan asked, detached and cold as he watched Dan's blood start to trickle down his neck. “What does our dog do for that I do not?”

 

Ray slid to the floor, on his knees in pleading. “Don't do this.”

 

The submission only made Ryan growl louder, voice so rough it almost hurt to listen to. He tightened his grip on the dagger and pinned Dan harder, looking ready to take out his perceived threat.

 

“Give me one reason why I shouldn't slide this blade through his pretty little throat and pin him like a disgusting insect in your love nest?”

 

Though his words were cruel there was a flash of hurt on the king's face that could not be hidden. Ray trembled all over as he realized what he had to do.

 

“One reason why I shouldn't put his head on a spike and keep you locked in my chambers for the rest of your days?” Ryan spat, trying to regain his bearings as he slid the tip of the blade underneath Dan's flesh. “I want to know why I shouldn't end this all now!”

 

“Because I love him!”

 

The words echoed throughout the room and every heart skipped a beat. The air was still for a pregnant pause before the blade fell with a muffled _thump_ against the carpet.

 

Ryan hand fell limp to his side, the other still loosely curled in the younger man's armor. He stared at his queen with wide, pained eyes and a dropped jaw. He looked as if he'd been smacked. Ray held his gaze and tears well when he nearly _saw_ his husband's heart break. In all their days together he'd never seen his king so vulnerable, so open, and he hated that it was because he'd sliced him open with one statement. He could almost hear the whir of Ryan's thoughts as he probably considered himself some kind of monster, that their marriage had been a farce, that Dan had been warming his bed every night.

 

Dan slumped bonelessly against the bed, eyes closed tight and panting lightly. His hands stayed at his sides as blood trickled lazily down into the neck of his shirt.

 

Ray took a moment to get to his feet, chin raised defiantly, “And I know you do as well.”

 

* * *

 

**Dramatic cut off! Check out my stuff, leave a comment, help a poor author keep writing because school is hard and trying to consume my life  
[Want to learn more about my update schedule?](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/98123930496/i-know-that-no-one-actually-cares-because-we-all)**

 

 

 


	11. "Lord" Ryan - Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray presents. Ryan is adamant about taking care of it.

**Just gonna post half of the chapter I originally planned. One, because I want you to know I'm back and ready to write. Two, because I will not get a lot of writing done this week.**  
  
 **[Read it in the order it happened...](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/95604916006/and-life-is-wine-chronological-masterpost-wip)**

* * *

 

Burnie and Geoff found themselves on opposite sides of the problem that became the king's divided attention. Neither could contend that Ryan's mood was vastly improved each time he came back from his garden visits but some matters were slipping, including his training. It wasn't long before they both spotted the young gardener who walked and talked with their king, and they knew right away Ryan was lying about his status.

 

Geoff was glad for a happier king. He saw the way they looked at each other and he didn't mind it.

 

Burnie was disgruntled in his belief that Ryan was laying with the peasant boy in some kind of morbid fascination. Ray, the boy, was too old to be unpresented and their sovereign liked abnormal things. Ryan's _hands-on_ method of dealing with unruly Alpha guards was strange enough, but dragging a young boy's heart through the dirt? That sat wrong with Burnie. He was loyal to the end, his life belonged to King Haywood, but that didn't stop him from being disappointed.

 

They watched and hid to eavesdrop, sometimes together but most times apart so their king didn't catch them. They heard the way Ryan talked to the boy and it was shocking. Though far from a mad king, Ryan was stoic at the worst of times and fair at his best. But Ray got spoken to with such warm tenderness that it made the hardened soldiers sigh, unable to deny that there was affection in each word. They had not seen their king so affectionate, so at ease – not for a long time. Not since his father and brothers had died.

 

Ryan came back every day all happy smelling strangely sweeter by the day, soil deep under his nails and cheeks ruddy from exertion and pleasure.

 

o0o

 

Ray Sr. had nearly swallowed his tongue when he came out of the farm to meet his son's excited cries, feet skidding in the dirt when he came across the pair standing by the horses. The Alpha his only child had been talking about for months, the one he'd been ready to confront about intentions and courting, was being led along by the hand toward him looking calm and amused.

 

And it was their _king._

 

Ray Sr. nearly barked out an order for his son to kneel, to stop being so casual with their sovereign, but the king raised a single fingers to his lips. It was a scant moment of movement but it was enough to silence him. Ray, his sweet boy, broke away from the Alpha and rushed at him with all the enthusiasm of an oblivious pup.

 

“ _This_ is my father.” Ray's small arms wrapped around his father's arm and beamed up at him. “Papa, I swear I've said nothing but good things about you.” He nudged his father forward and whispered lowly, “This is the one I was telling you about. Lord Ryan.”

 

 _Ryan_. _Gods help us._

 

Ray Sr., nearly paralyzed by shock, barely managed to bow his head. “Ray Narvaez.”

 

To his credit, his voice didn't shake.

 

The unpresented boy bumped his head against his father's arm. “It's alright, Papa, Ryan doesn't care about stuff like that. What did you say before?” He spoke to the lord now. “About the garden, and here...what was it?”

 

“Domain,” Ryan supplied.

 

“Yes,” Ray breathed in relief, smile still so naively wide. “Our domain.” He got a little pink in the cheeks. “And the king's, of course, but he never visits."

 

“I didn't know you were Ray II,” Ryan pointed out. “I see you didn't get your father's build. I expect nothing less formidable from the Royal Gardener. It's an honor to meet you.”

 

Ray Sr. felt himself break out into a cold sweat. _What have I done to deserve this? How have I angered the gods?_

 

Ryan, their king and provider, was smiling like he was really enjoying himself and they had never met. Like it was a game and he was winning. Ray spouted that he needed to go get the tea he'd forgotten this morning, ranting about how good it was and how he had finally perfected the cure for sleepless nights as he headed toward the house. The moment he was out of eyesight, Ray Sr. dropped into a knee.

 

“I apologize if my son has done anything out of line. He is young, he does not know the face of the crown as the kingdom should,” the gardener stated, eyes on the ground.

 

“Rise,” Ryan allowed casually, looking out at the field and smiling when he spotted two small cows lazily munching in a grain-filled trough. “I have no qualms with your family. I am simply enjoying the freedom of the garden, as all who live in the castles are allowed to. And there I have found peace in the company of your son.”

 

Ray Sr. racked his brain trying to think of what he had done to offend the king. Was this one of the man's long spun traps? An elaborate plan to humiliate his family or despoil his child? Worry burned through his heart as he thought of the mad stunt the king was planning. He was more than sure that there was no offense he could have committed that would deserve the punishment reaching his offspring.

 

“Forgive me, sire, if this is out of line,” Ray Sr. began, hand fisting in the grass as he kept his gaze low. “But _please_...don't hurt him. He's my son. I value him more than anything else I have.”

 

The king looked as if he'd been smacked but the expression didn't stay long. “I have no intention of hurting the boy. As I said before, I enjoy his company a great deal. And as a father I do not blame you for your worry.” Ryan walked over and took the gardened by the elbow, the man's eyes shooting up so their gazes locked. He was urged to his feet. “My only request is that you keep the matter of my identity a secret until the time comes that I reveal it to him.”

 

Ray Sr frowned. So there were no traps? No trace of the madness so often attached to King Haywood's name. The king seemed to speak fairly and there was no anger in his voice. “He is so young, my king. He shows the markers of an Omega and I wish to find him a good mate.”

 

The cold look upon the king's face had him snapping his mouth shut.

 

Ray Sr's heart grew heavy and his stomach went sour as he realized he had to accept that his son would be ruined, taken as a royal consort or worse, his reputation shredded. If Ray had the eye of the king there was nothing his father could do. What made it all the harder to swallow was that he knew his son was nearly in love with this “Lord” Ryan. He cringed at the thought of his son being a whore but he didn't want him heartbroken either.

 

Just imaging his son's destroyed expression when he learned the lord's true identity, knowing that any chance he had of finding real love was gone...it hurt his own heart. Ray Sr. dropped his eyes back to the grass in case the king would see the pain upon his face. No good standing Alpha in any of the surrounding villages would take his son as a husband once they knew that the king had already knotted and bred him.

 

Ray Sr. gagged and had to turn away, rubbing a hand over his face.

 

“Papa?”

 

His son came up, a small wooden box tucked in his hands and a confused pinch to his brow.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“I'm fine,” Ray Sr. promised with a put-upon smile. “The heat of the day has gotten to me.”

 

“Is it your back again?” The concern on his son's face felt like a punch to the gut. “You should go lay down. I can stay and finish the rest of the chores.”

 

“No, the garden needs your attention more than the chickens do,” his father brushed off, belly full of lead. “Go back and I'll see you tonight. Try to arrive before the sun sets.”

 

“I won't be out with the stars,” Ray promised.

 

“It was good to meet you,” Ray Sr. stated, reaching out to clasp forearms with the Alpha. “ _Lord_ Ryan. Watch over my son while I cannot.”

 

“And you, sir,” Ryan replied easily. “I shall protect him with my life.”

 

Ray looked between them, curious, but said nothing.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ryan smelt it the moment he passed the garden gates. The air was sweeter this afternoon. He would have blamed the kitchens for opening their windows during lunch but whatever it was smelled more delicious than any pastry Jack has ever whipped up or had imported. He couldn't remember placing an order for any new flowers but the scent was surely rooted in the garden. And it was _good_. So pure and thick – heavy on his tongue but not on his pallette, maybe even a little sticky in the way that him lapping at his sharp canines. He thought of how Ray's scent had been getting stronger these past few weeks and hopeful excitement fluttered in his heart. He dared not get his hopes up...

 

Ryan followed his nose and his chest started to tingle, fingertips light and eager to get a hold of whatever was creating such a mouth-watering scent. He came across the large vegetable patch near the back, the tang of the peppers and tomatoes doing nothing to cover up the waves of spun sugar and sweet whipped topping that was pouring off the young gardener.

  
Ray was on his knees in the dirt, hands weakly plucking at weeds. He looked like he was struggling with every movement, harsh pants escaping his dry lips as he exerted himself beyond his limit. The boy's skinny body was shaking and flushed from cheeks to fingertips. It struck him very quickly just what was going on. Ray was going through The Change.

 

Correction – he was trying to _work_ while going through The Change.

 

Ryan only took a few steps before he had to lay the back of his hand over his nose to try and stop the sweet scent from clogging up his mind. It was _so_ strong, the sign of a fertile mate. He had to take a few moments to compose himself, shoving back his more animalistic Alpha instincts so he didn't frighten the boy. He counted to ten and back, recounting the names of the lords that ruled over each of his seven kingdoms within the Realm. Thinking of their dull faces smothered the fire in his belly and he managed to put himself back together.

 

He stepped up behind Ray and cleared his throat. “You need to be in bed.”

 

“I'm fine,” the boy huffed like it wasn't the first time he'd heard it that day. But his fingers were shaking too bad to properly sort through the stalks and leaves for the real weeds. His voice was trembling just as hard. “If I don't get these weeds up by the end of the week they'll take over and fruit gets smothered very-”

 

Ray broke off, both hands bracing in the dirt as a full body shiver racked him. He heavy flush of pure heat swept through his face and chest, swamping all his senses until everything got muddy and blurry. Something fell over his shoulders and clasped at the base of his neck, fluttering around his sides. He grabbed a handful of the material and brought it to his nose, a strange high pitched sound tittering out of his throat.

 

_Old heat. Leather. A brick oven. Forged metal. Buttery warmth across his tongue._

 

And that was the last Ray remembered for a while.

 

Ryan let the boy get drunk on his scent from his cape, slipping the hood over his head to help encase him. Ray started to sway and he swept the changing Omega up into his arms. He weighed nearly nothing and fit easily against his chest, the way the boy dropped his head on his shoulder warmed his heart. The king carried his charge towards one of the exits hidden within the open halls that bracketed the garden, giving a sharp whistle to summon Geoff (who he knew was always nearby). The knight came from around the corner looking unamused.

 

“Call our best Omega healer. And give me your water skin,” Ryan ordered, holding out his hand. “Not your wine, your _water_. Find Burns as well.”

 

Geoff handed over the small skin and went off to check the training yard for the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Ryan was left alone with the dazed boy in the side chamber. He sat down on the stone bench and gathered Ray close on his lap, bussing their noses fondly. The boy's face was flushed and his eyes were barley open, raven lashes fluttering as he tried to stay awake and nudge back.

 

“My garden rose,” Ryan murmured, nuzzling along the other's cheek before pushing under his jaw, encouraging him to tilt his head back and expose his neck. Ray obeyed with a breathy sigh, pulse jumping hard as his chest heaved to get enough air. He was sun-baked and fevered but he seemed more at ease in the Alpha's arms than he had out in the garden. “If it were up to me I would take you to my bed this very moment and lick all of this strong, sweet scent off your skin.”

 

Ryan's control slipped long enough for him to swipe the tip of his tongue over the swell of the boy's throat. It was like lapping up warm syrup and he felt it all the way down to the core of his belly. Ray's brief, Omega purr caught them both by surprise. It was a rough sound, used for the first time and untried, but it got smoother as the king's cupped the back of the boy's neck through a layer of cloak.

 

“I'll take care of you,” Ryan promised, tilting the boy's head back up and meeting his eyes. He smiled in apology and lifted the waterskin to his lips. “Drink, flower. The Change's fever is no matter to be trifled with.”

 

Once Ray tasted the first few drops of clear water he cupped the bottom of the skin and weakly tipped it back, swallowing in great gulps. Ryan gave an ordered hush to drink slower and gripped the back of his neck until he obeyed. The boy looked like he was falling asleep and his sips faded before he dropped his head beneath the Alpha's chin, nosing at the hollow of his throat.

 

“Ryan,” he rasped, damp fingers pawing at the man's shoulder to try and get a grip.

 

“I'm here,” Ryan soothed, taking the skin and setting it aside before lacing their fingers, squeezing the digits and admiring how well their palms fit together. “Look at that...two pieces reunited, hm? Like the legends of souls being split, forged into lovers long separated and sweetly met?” He scented the boy's hair but allowed himself no more luxury lest he take advantage. “It will be over soon. I will make sure you get through this.”

 

Ray chirped very meekly against his skin. “ 'M gonna' be an Omega.”

 

“Dear boy, you _are_ an Omega,” Ryan corrected gently, tucking the hood closer around the boy's face before brushing their noses one last time while they were alone. He was glad he did because in the next moment Burnie and Geoff were coming through the doorway. He cradled the gardener protectively and stood up, holding him tight.

 

“We need to take him to his father,” Ryan commanded, trying hard to stoically ignore the way the fevered boy was whispering his name. “Where's the healer?”

 

“Joshua's coming now,” Burns replied, eyeing the gardener. “How far along is he?”

 

“A few hours,” Ryan estimated. “Get four horses. We ride for the farm the moment he's ready.”

 

o0o

 

The Narvaez farm was one of the largest in the villages that laid on the outskirts of the city. It was far enough from the forest line that it was safe from the wolves or any of the other creatures that crept in the night, but far enough out in the rich lands to have fields of wheat and vegetables and their small flock of sheep. They were more known for their bread production so the livestock they kept was more for personal food supply.

 

It was a few hours ride from the castle. They rode in formation without colors, hoods drawn on all with the king having acquired a new one while the blooming Omega still had his own. Ryan had taken Ray on his own horse, the boy still pressed tight against his chest as he rode side saddle. The king kept one arm wrapped around him, the other bundling the reins together. Burnie rode in front, eyes sharp on the road, while Joshua trailed close behind the king and Geoff took up the rear.

 

A large enough party to be intimidating, and not flashy enough to be ripe for a robbery.

 

They passed through the open fence and easily ate the distance up the dirt path that led to the impressive, hand built, two story farm. It was no grand structure but it was sturdy, hardy. There was a post to hitch the horses and they stopped there, Burnie dismounting first and going up to knock at the door. While the guard waited, Ryan hopped off his horse and urged Ray down into his arms. The boy was out of it and clingy but the noble didn't mind.

 

“Sweetest,” Ryan purred, sweeping the boy up off his feet the moment he started to wobble.

 

Ray Sr. stepped into the doorway and knew exactly what was happening before anyone could say a word. He felt a fizzle of cold fear in his chest as he saw his shivering, red-faced son in the arms of the king.

 

“Your son seems to be going through his change,” Ryan announced. “Congratulations, my friend, young Ray will be an Omega.”

 

“My _lord_ ,” Ray Sr. greeted, stepping aside, “Please, all of you, come in while I ready my son's room.”

 

As they filed in, the Royal Gardener expressed his gratitude that they would escort his son home like this and he would've gladly come if sent a raven about it. Burns followed close to him, promising that it was their honor to bring the young boy safely home.

 

“Allow me to help you, sir.”

 

Ray Sr. was surprised by the softness in the voice of the only man in the group he did not know. The hood was pushed back and a handsome, young face revealed itself. The man, a Beta, was dark skinned and marked with even darker ink. Some of the strange markings arched over his forehead, touching the swells of his cheeks, but his smile was inviting. “I'm Joshua, a healer. I'm here to serve and make your son's transition as smooth as possible. Let me assist you in making a proper bed so that we don't have change the sheets every hour.”

 

Ray Sr. huffed at first but there was a sincerity in the man's voice that he could not deny. “We cannot afford a healer.”

 

“It's taken care of,” Ryan cut in curtly.

 

Sensing his king's impatience, he showed Joshua back to his son's room. They discussed bedding and teas, both respecting the other's knowledge, and they disappeared together around the corner. Ryan nuzzled the boy's dark hair and took a big lungful of his scent. The farm was nice, it was, but everything inside of him was demanding that he set the blooming Omega down anywhere that wasn't perfect and soft and _safe_.

 

Ray _mewed_ at him and it nearly broke his heart.

 

“You cannot stay,” Burnie pointed out.

 

Geoff reluctantly nodded. “It's true, sire.”

 

“Hush, both of you!” Ryan ordered swiftly, glancing nervously at Ray. “I know I can't and you can shut your mouth before I have them sewn shut.”

 

The two guards sighed, far too used those type of threats.

 

Thankfully the pair came back before he could whisk the boy off back to the castle.

 

o0o

 

Ryan went by himself.

 

The bed was far from what Ryan considered acceptable but he tucked Ray in nonetheless. He kissed the boy's grasping hands and held them between his own, kneeling beside his bed and looking into his glassy eyes. “I have brought the best healer in the city to help you. You will be _so_ well taken care of. I'll send for everything you could desire. You won't go wanting.”

 

“Don' need anything,” Ray slurred thickly, eyes barely open at all now. “Jus' you.”

 

Ryan's heart threatened to break. He reached out and smoothed back the boy's hair, thumb sliding through the sweat on his hot forehead. “I'm sorry I can't be with you longer. I...I cannot...”

 

Ryan leaned up and pressed their heads together, purring lowly in response to the boy's sweet coo of satisfaction from the contact. “Forgive me, Ray. But I have to leave. If I stay any longer I won't be able to tear myself away. I know you won't remember this, but you must obey the healer. Do you understand, my boy?” He tucked his finger under the other's chin. “Listen to Joshua. Obey him as you would obey me. He will see you through this in my stead.”

 

Ray nodded, still reaching for the Alpha as he got to his feet.

 

Ryan had chosen to go to war three times in his reign and walking away from that fevered boy's bed was still one of the single hardest things he'd ever had to do.

 

o0o

 

Ryan entered the high ceilinged living room where Ray Sr. was offering Geoff a bottle of dark liquor that was older than either of them. The “lord” persona faded and his more kingly demeanor came back, shoulders squaring and jaw tight.

 

“You, healer, come here,” Ryan commanded sharply, crooking his finger at the young Beta.

 

Joshua quickly came up to the man and his knees nearly bucked when the Alpha's hand clamped down on his shoulder. “My king?”

 

“You will not say one word of my title to Ray,” Ryan growled out, fingers digging in so sharp he could feel the healer's bone grind under the force. “You will take care of him as if he were the most precious thing in the Realm. But if you touch him in an untoward manner, if you lay a finger on him that isn't purely medicinal, I will cut every offensive finger off. Painfully and slowly. Do you understand me?”

 

Joshua gaped at his sovereign.

 

“I will maim you for your sacred, most _important_ profession.” Ryan flashed his canines, squeezing until the Beta yelped and Burns took a step forward like he wanted to say something. “If you touch that boy the wrong way I will make you _useless_. So, I ask again, do you understand?”

 

“Yes, sire, I understand,” Joshua gasped out, relief washing over his face when the Alpha released him. “I will do everything in my power to keep him comfortable and his fever down. And if you so wish it, my king, I won't tell him of your status. He believes you...a lord?”

Ryan nodded tightly. “I am only a lord to him for reasons you do not need to know. If he asks for me, you will say I sent you. Otherwise, you are silent.”

 

“What's special about this boy?” Joshua asked with a measure of disbelief before he could think on his words. This was just the gardener's son, or was he a consort? A mistress? A swift backhand made spots dance in front of his eyes and then strong, Alpha fingers curled tight around his throat. It was terrifying how quickly his air cut off. His king was snarling at him and he felt his insides quiver.

 

“There are other healers,” Ryan stated in a clipped, cold tone that reminded him just how ruthless King Haywood could be.

 

“Forgive me. I meant no offense.”

 

“Your insolent tongue, I should-” Ryan cut himself off, seeing the relief on Burnie's face. “But I will not. This is a day to celebrate.” He slipped his gloves over his hands in an attempt to smother Ray's new, clinging scent. “I want you to make a list. Supplies, appropriate food, ingredients – whatever you need to make him comfortable and healthy, write it down.”

 

The gardener's nostrils flared. “I can provide for my son.”

 

“My friend, please, consider this a gift.” A personable smile graced the king's face. “The son of my royal gardener and my friend has presented as an Omega. Please, allow me to also send two new beds of the finest material. Ray has told me of your back problems and I hope to ease it in my own way. If there is anything needed during these happy times, please send word. Supplies will come tonight and tomorrow morning. I shall send my manservant to collect anything else you need. Do not be shy.”

 

Ray Sr. was torn between being relieved and being offended, but mostly shocked. Their king was providing for his son like an Alpha in an extravagant way that no one in the surrounding villages or city could match.

 

“I would also give you this,” Ryan offered, holding out a simple black bag that jangled. “I would ask you to use this to hire some trusted Betas to take care of your land while you tend to your son and get some well deserved rest. You will be stressed and I would not see you fatigued in a time when your boy needs you to be strong. A second gift.”

 

“You are generous, my king.”

 

Ryan's lips pursed when the man didn't take the gold. “I know you are proud, my friend. I have seen how much effort you put into your work and how you have built something beautiful with nothing but the sweat from your brow. Consider this compensation for underpaid labor.”

 

The gardener found himself worn down and he actually cracked a smile. “Just now you realize what my family has done for you?”

 

“And what it will do.” There was a gleam of something dark in the king's eyes but his smile was like honey. “For you, my friend.”

 

Ray Sr. took the bag. “My king.”

 

With his cheek still burning from his reprimand, Joshua carefully wrote down all that he would need to see this boy through to the end.

 

o0o0o0o

 

That night, a fast rider on a good horse came with fresh sheets and as many jars of herbs as a saddle bag could carry. But it was the morning when the real gifts came. Ray Sr. greeted a Beta boy at the door along with two thick carts with coverings. They looked humble at first but truly it was deeply stacked and there was much more inside than it appeared to be. One held new beds and bedding for them. The other came with food of many varieties, more herbs, tools for for processing and brewing, sheets, sweat pads, changes of clothing for both Joshua and Ray, and even some new tools for the farm. Ray Sr. was almost reluctant to take them but he knew not to refuse his king. And they needed all the supplies quite badly.

 

o0o

 

Ray was bundled up in one of the softer chairs as Joshua and Ray Sr. prepared the new bed, filling it with fat pillows and thick comforters. Spongy pads lined the bottom to absorb slick and sweat without ruining the mattress itself. The young boy's bed was transformed into a luxurious nest, one fit for a noble Omega, and the sight of the finished project soothed some of the irritation inside Ray Sr.

 

How could he be angry when his king, an Alpha, had provided his newly Omega son a wonderful place to rest?

 


	12. "Lord" Ryan - Part IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joshua takes care of Ray. Ryan doesn't take care of himself. And all they need or want is each other.

[ **Read them in order** ](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/95604916006/and-life-is-wine-chronological-masterpost-wip)

 

* * *

 

 

Joshua tried to keep this job as impersonal as every other one but this boy, this Omega, was softening his heart.

 

It started in the first moment they met. Joshua came into the room with a tray of warm broth and some wet cloths before morning of supplies had come. He'd introduced himself and set the tray aside, asking the boy to sit up if he could so he could drink and the first layer of sweat could be wiped away. Then he'd actually looked over at Ray and found him smiling.

 

“Joshua,” Ray had repeated with a light laugh, the rush of changing leaving him a little giddy, “I'm Ray. I like your markings. Do they mean something?”

 

Joshua gave pause. No one had ever asked him about his ink before. “They're the brand of a healer where I come from.”

 

“Where's that?” Ray asked, a little more coherent as he took the cup given to him.

 

“Myr. It's a city across the sea.”

 

“Myr,” the boy sounded the word out in his mouth, grinning around it, “You're known for your craftsmanship.”

 

“And our lace,” Joshua added before he could stop himself.

 

“I'm from Dorne,” Ray stated, “We're almost neighbors. My parents were born there, I mean. I've only seen it twice but it's my motherland.”

 

“Dorne,” Joshua mused with a small smile of his own. “Your exports are passion and magic.”

 

Ray laugh dissolved into a bout of shivers, skin prickling under the first wave of the fever. Joshua caught him before he could slump down into the bed again. He wiped the boy's brow and neck, hushing him when he whined in distress.

 

“It's just the fever, child,” Joshua promised. “I won't let it take you.”

 

“Thank you,” Ray breathed as he fell asleep in the crook of the man's arm.

  
o0o

 

With the nest made and everything he could ever need at Joshua's fingertips, he dedicated every moment to Ray and his well being. Every task seemed to get him more and more invested in seeing the boy happy. The Royal Gardener laughed and watched as the healer wait on his son hand and feet with a smile.

 

Ray had that affect on people and it was high time someone suffered from it other than himself.

 

Joshua consulted his journals and made only the most effective soups and teas, knowing he had to feed the fever to help speed the process along. The fever didn't kill those going through the change, it was the amount of time they were afflicted that was the real monster. Ray fed himself at first but he was going under more and more, and soon he would be completely out of it. When the first waves of the fever weren't making him fuzzy, Ray made conversation with him. They talked about Myr and herbs, the gardener having more knowledge than one should for such a young age. He had a sense of humor too, and a hidden wit that came out when he let himself go.

  
“What a lucky soul I am,” Ray chuckled around the rim of a mug of soup, cheeks ruddy from more than fever, “To have a kind lord to send such a healer as yourself to help me through this. I would be a panicked mess if it weren't for your demeanor, my friend.”

 

Joshua gaped at the boy, surprised at the honesty in his words.

 

o0o

 

Then came the meat of his change. The fever seized Ray in just a matter of hours and he started sweating, eyes going blank and small chest heaving as he fought for breath. His skin was always damp and Joshua did his best to keep him clean, though he knew the sweat was a way to cleanse his system and it had to be done.

 

Joshua whipped up a thick, bitter potion that would keep the fever down to a manageable level. It would cool his blood as much as possible while he went through all the changes he needed to. He knew the concoction was disgusting but it was the best he could do. He sat on the bed beside the boy who was now stripped down to nothing but a sheet thrown over his hips to hide his modesty.

 

“This will most likely be one of the worst things you've ever tasted,” Joshua stated grimly, offering a polished glass cup. “And it will hurt. I've been told it's like swallowing barb wire. I must ask you to drink it all.”

 

“I trust you,” Ray rasped.

 

Joshua was taken aback. “You do? Just like that?”

 

“Ryan trusts you,” the boy replied, lips twitching up in a weak smile, “And I trust him...so much...completely. I'll drink all of it, I promise.”

 

Feeling touched by the boy's earnestness, Joshua cupped the back of his neck and put the lip of the glass to his small lips. As Ray began to swallow his face twisted in agony, one hand gripping the blanket while the other slapped onto the healer's inked forearm.

 

“I know,” Joshua sympathized. “I'll be right here through it all.”

 

And he kept that promise.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ryan felt trapped in his own rooms. They were lavish and larger than he needed, draped in his colors and lined with carpet and tapestries and the furs of past kills, but they were suffocating. Burns and Ramsay were in his outerchambers and watching his door carefully, sleeping in shifts so they would be ready to accompany him on his duties tomorrow. They were there to keep him from fleeing to the Narvaez farm and taking care of the changing Omega himself. He wanted to nurse his sweet flower through his fever with his own hands, he wanted it more than he wanted his next breath, but it was impossible. Burns and Ramsay were not only members of his Kingsguard, they were his most trusted advisers. They had reminded him several times that if word of his affection got out, Ray would instantly be in danger. Bodily and reputation-wise. The last thing he wanted to do was tarnish his little flower's reputation before they'd even done anything to deserve such accusations.

 

 _If he'll have me,_ Ryan lamented, throwing an arm up over his head and staring wistfully up at the blood red canopy. _A lovely Omega like that, he'll have suitors out the door._

 

That line of thought reminded him of the bitter cloud that rested over his whole relationship with the apprentice gardener. His long-term intentions, his plan to tell him of his royal title, what to do afterward...the danger the boy would be in if he were to take him as a consort. He'd never had one before, only unspoken affairs that never repeated and could be dismissed with a firm hand.

 

Royal Consort of the Mad King...that was a perilous position he would not ask of anyone. Without title or power and ending up with a bastard in their belly. In the position to be taken from their bed and ransomed, forced to give information on the crown, tortured even. The thought of Ray like that, bound and crying for him, made his heart hurt and he tossed in the soft sheets to try and relieve it. The image changed to Ray's pain-filled face as he reached for him, begging him to stay. Worry bubbled up in his chest and it _burned_ , leaving his mouth full of bile and his stomach in knots.

 

Burns was right - he was distracted. He couldn't have stayed. Nothing would've been done.

 

Ryan's fingers itched to rip off the blanket and send for his men, demanding they go check on Ray if he could not. The thought of their Alpha statuses stopped him but just barely. He'd already been scolded by Geoff earlier for losing focus during court. His usually drunken knight had come to his side, leaned down, and growled at him to, “ _Snap out of it, he is fine, I promise. You have work and requests piled in front of you._ ”

 

Yet the Change was so dangerous. Sometimes the fever took the frailer of the Omegas, stealing their breath in the middle of the night while their guardians slept. Ryan looked to his desk through the part of his curtains. There were old tomes and scrolls spread across the surface with hastily scratched notes. Though he trusted Joshua and Ray Sr's knowledge, he'd taken it upon himself to note the best herbs for Omegas going through the Change. Procedures, techniques, things that had worked for the royal families before him. He would send the list with Kerry tomorrow morning, the Beta already thoroughly threatened and his loyalty re-pledged.

 

“Supplies,” Ryan rasped, sitting up and throwing away the sheet. He shot across the long room and threw open his door.

 

Geoff and Burnie looked up from their high stakes card game to see their king staring at them with wide, bright eyes and in his full glory. Geoff raised a brow at the impressive “royal package” while his companion only huffed and got to his feet. “Sire...”

 

“We didn't send enough food,” Ryan declared, clearing his throat to try and get his voice back from disuse. “I think I should send more money and blankets.”

 

“You already sent everything he could ever need, my king,” Burnie pointed out. “ _Relax_. You need your sleep.”

 

Ryan scrubbed a hand over his face, eyes stinging and heavy with exhaustion. “Do you...do you think Joshua can handle this? Maybe we could find another discrete healer, an assistant for him. And more supplies. Surely we didn't send everything? I need his list to cross reference with mine to make sure we didn't miss anything.”

 

Geoff stood up with a weary sigh. “My king...it's so late for this.”

 

“The books say an Omega's Change can last as long as seven days. What if Ray suffers longer?” Ryan seemed to be talking to himself now, eyes drifting off toward the fire. “I should go see him.”

 

Geoff pursed his lips. “Joshua will let us know the moment his fever has broken and again when he's finished. When he's approved to come back to work, I promise you can have a whole, uninterrupted morning with him.”

 

Ryan frowned, mulling it over. “He should take a full week. Recover.”

 

“I'll send word to his father at first light,” Burns stated, shooing him back. “Now go back to bed. We have court tomorrow.”

 

“Court. Of course.” Ryan turned around, ready to leave, but slapped a hand on the doorway. “What if he's accosted before he comes back? Scents will be so overwhelming for him.”

 

“To bed with you already!” Burns barked impatiently.

 

Feeling justly chastised, Ryan obeyed.

 

o0o

 

_Ryan._

 

The first time the name was used it shocked Joshua down to his core and he nearly spilled his water skin. It was just half formed whispers at first but as the fever grew stronger so did the common name for their king. Ray would whimper it into his pillow, hands searching for someone who wasn't here. It was heartbreaking and Joshua could only shush him and spoon feed him broth.

 

 _This boy isn't afraid to speak so informally of our king_ ,  Joshua mused as he sat Ray up, the boy grumbling in protest. _Though, I suppose, he has no idea who our sovereign is._

 

Ray followed his soft orders and raised his blanket covered knees, wrapping his arms around them and showing off his sweaty back. Joshua ran a moist cloth through the boy's hair and down over his neck. He gently cleaned his shoulder blades, the dip of his spine, and along his ribs. He almost asked if he was sore but he knew the boy was so he moved behind him, pouring a thick dollop of cooling oil on his palm before rubbing his hands together. He started rubbing down his slim shoulders, noticing how the child was already plumping up like an Omega should.

 

Ray really was a sweet boy.

 

He was just getting into a good rhythm when Ray started moaning. But not the soft, pleasant moans of tension being released. These were deeper, needier. Omegas often felt arousal while they were going through their change, all the slick and energy shift and body changing, but not often and not during the thickest of their fever. A small, sweaty hand grabbed his own. The strength of the touch surprised him and he allowed his hand to be dragged around to the boy's front and between his thickening, trembling thighs. A barely aroused, smooth Omega cock was pressed into his palm.

 

“Ryan,” Ray mewed into his knees, blindly grinding into the solid touch.

 

“My poor boy,” Joshua sighed, pulling his hand back and putting them both on the boy's shoulders. “Ryan isn't here. You can see him when you're better, I promise. And I promise you, release will only make you feel worse.”

 

Ray blinked, eyes black and unseeing, and then he nodded. Joshua pet through his hair for a moment, smooth the raven looks, and then eased the boy down into the bedding. He pulled the pillows in and gave something for Ray to snuggle into, tucking a cushion between his legs and dragging the thickest one under his head, a more body-shaped one between his arms. The boy calmed and cuddled in, wrapping around them with a low sigh of gratitude.

 

Joshua was trying to do his job, he really was, but he felt heavily invested in something he wasn't quite sure of. He would admit that when he first arrived at the farm he stewed on the fact that his king sent him to a lower class home to take care of some no-name Omega, not even the Royal Garden but his _son_. And the closeness between the two had bothered him, truly, but he was a healer before all else and he hadn't said a word.

 

Ray Sr. had proven himself a good man, and the boy was the very essence of _adorable._ He was easy to warm up to with his big smile and ruffled hair, the endearingly sharp humor. It made his heart heavy to think of such a bright, potential-filled boy being nothing but the king's consort. He prayed the king wasn't manipulating the new Omega into anything he didn't want. He could see why their sovereign found him attractive, he had many pleasant features. So nice and obedient, and he trusted him. His traitorous heart had melted during Ray's earnest confession.

 

_Sweet Ray...you'll end up with a broken heart._

 

Outside the room, Ray Sr. covered his mouth and closed his eyes. Surely their family had done something to anger the gods. He'd heard his son call for the king by _name_. The king obviously had Ray wrapped around his finger with very little innocent intent. There was nothing he could do. The Alpha was too powerful, too charming and smooth, too much to fight. And did he truly want to fight a good provider like the king? Everything was on the line. Ray's honor, their family name, his son's very future.

 

He dropped his head into his hands. _Gods help us all._

 

o0o

 

The fever hit a climax during the fourth night. Ray cried and whimpered the whole way through it, eyes clenched shut and words nothing but mindless mutters and fraction of their sovereign's name. He spoke of roses and domains, of stars and what Joshua found out what was the boy's mother's name. He held Ray's hand and wiped his brow, poured water down his parched throat, and kept him relaxed.

 

On the fifth night it broke and the boy dissolved into shivers. Joshua had to brew a potion for pain because Ray's body started to stretch and thicken and ache until the youngling began to really sob from how much it _hurt_. With the fever breaking and the last hump of the physical changes, Ray's body heat was sapped from the heavy energy usage and his new Omega instincts craving touch.

 

It took Joshua a while to figure out a solution that would soothe his charge. Finally he dug out a metal pan and filled it with hot coals, sliding it under the thick cushions and blankets to warm up the bed. A longer, fur-and-feather stuffed pillow was taken off the pile of provisions and he urged Ray to curl around it like it was another person. It worked like a dream, the boy snuggling into it happily and purring like a content Omega. It worked even better than the first time.

 

o0o

 

When the king didn't emerge from his chamber despite Geoff's coaxing of a hot breakfast, Burns decided to go inside and pull him out by the hair if need be. He stormed in, ready to play tough with the king, but his heart lurched when he saw the man he'd known for so many years laying in bed with his head cradled between his hands. Ryan didn't writhe in pain, he had a very high tolerance, so when the king grunted and moaned softly that meant the agony would make others scream.

 

“Sire?”

 

“I feel as if something has burrowed between my temples,” Ryan rasped, every other word accompanied by a suck of air through his grit teeth.

 

“My king,” Burnie sighed in exasperation. “I'll fetch you a healer. To speak freely, we warned you of this. The stress of the kingdom coupled with your boy's Change...we were afraid it would bring about an ache.”

 

“How fortunate I am to have diviners among my guard,” Ryan snarled, eyes firmly shut to block out all light. “How fortunate that will be next time we go into battle.”

“I only want the best for you and this kingdom,” Burnie reminded him. “Worrying too much does this to you. I know you won't listen to me now but you'll see later that I'm right.”

 

Ryan lifted his head and his gaze was red-rimmed and furious. “Shall we see what pain alleviating properties your eyes have?”

 

Burns felt only the smallest ping of fear. “Shall I send for the Maester himself?”

 

The king huffed loudly before he laid his head on the pillow and winced, fingers covering his eyes. “Just do it already. And tell Haddock not to drag his ass all the way up here.”

 

Burnie paused before he closed the door all the way. “I hope it lightens your burden to know that Ray's fever broke last night and he should be coherent against tomorrow morning.”

 

He waited for the king's sigh of relief before he went to fetch the Maester.

 

o0o0o0o

 

“Thank you for everything.”

 

Joshua smiled at Ray, the new Omega resting in his nest with a handmade blanket draped around his bare shoulders. He was smiling again now that he'd had a bath and the sheets had been changed, the fever gone for a few hours now. There was still a pretty flush on his cheeks and there was a softness to him now, his scent having settled to a tempting sweet icing smell. He already looked like an Omega and Joshua felt a sense of pride as if he had molded him himself.

 

“You did it all yourself, young one,” Joshua assured him, packing up some of his things. He needed a bath himself and he yearned for his own bed. The Narvaez family had been very accommodating and their neighbors had brought food and a few pleasant blankets and scarves for Joshua to take with him, tokens of gratitude for taking care of the beloved boy. Every time the healer had gone out to stretch his legs he'd been accosted by smiling, grateful villagers and farmers who sang his praises for helping their _sweet little Ray of sunshine_ out during this difficult time. The boy was treasured in the community and it was something Joshua felt compelled to take back to his king.

 

“I wouldn't have lasted without you, my friend.”

 

Joshua paused at the title. He shot the boy a small, genuine smile. “I have enjoyed our time together. I wish it had been under better circumstances and that you weren't in such great pain.”

 

“I barely felt it. At least, I don't remember it,” Ray hummed thoughtfully. “It must be because of your expertise. I know Lord Ryan hired you and you have no obligation to speak with me otherwise, but I would like to know how to get a hold of you.” The boy ducked his head shyly. “I have a book of recipes and potions like the kind you gave me and I would like to compare notes.”

 

“That wasn't the heat talking, then? You know about the power of the earth?”

 

“Maybe not in such mystical terms,” Ray chuckled good naturedly, more embarrassed than anything, “But I know some things and I would like to learn more if I could.”

 

“You surprise me, I will not lie,” Joshua admitted, sitting down on the bed beside him. “If you send a raven to the castle, I will surely get it. If I am sent out, I shall send word to you.”

 

The way the boy brightened up made him smile wider.

 

o0o

 

Deeming Ray fit and healthy, though still bed ridden for another day, Joshua took his leave. Ray Sr. stood with him beside the wagon and gave his thanks, giving the healer a basket of rustic but homemade and delicious food to take with him. He bid him to stay longer but Joshua said he would soon be needed elsewhere, that there were always Omegas who needed him.

 

“But if Ray shows any signs of distress, please send word,” Joshua insisted. “I will return the moment Ray has need of me, no hesitation. And though your instincts may tell you otherwise, you must let him out of the farm to mingle and get used to scents before he goes back to the royal garden.”

 

“I will try my best. We could not have done it without you.”

 

“He's a strong boy. I would not doubt for a moment that he could have handled it by himself.”

 

“Such high praise for my boy,” Ray Sr. chuckled. “But he's a good at what he puts his mind to. If he'd chosen to go out in the forest naked as the day he came in this world I would've supported him. He'd have come back with leaves for clothes and just as happy as he is in there.”

 

Joshua covered his mouth as he tried not to laugh. “With that, I shall take my leave.”

 

“Sir.”

 

The healer stopped, hand wrapped around the reigns.

 

The gardener glanced at the door to make sure his son wasn't eavesdropping. “Joshua, my new friend, I must know...do you know what the king is planning with my son?”

 

“I'm sorry,” Joshua replied sincerely, frowning. “What the king wants with your son is both obvious and a mystery to me. You have one special boy in there. He is exceptionally kind and bright. I would hate to see him tarnished. I plan to speak with His Grace once I return. I wish to...dissuade him, if I can.”

 

Ray Sr. was touched. “You would do that for us? For my son?”

 

“I would wish no harm upon your family. You are good people, and if the king plans...” Joshua trailed off. “But that is blasphemous to speak of. I will talk to our king. Pray for me to change his mind.”

 

“May the gods smile fondly upon you, young Joshua,” Ray Sr. sighed, heart both relieved and heavy.

 

“And may they have mercy upon us all.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ray stepped off the porch and turned his face up to the sun, taking a big breath of the morning air. His toes flexed in his new shoes, provided very generously by Lord Ryan as a gift for his successful Change. He stretched out his arms and the empty basket his father had given to him dangled over his head, swinging softly before he let it hang by his side.

 

He was to go to market by himself and he had begged for the privilege. Though Joshua had cleared him to leave the bed his father had waited two days before allowing him to go outside. Some nonsense about his scent settling and his body being weak from the strenuous fever. His father had given him long lectures about how being an Omega was not easy, that he was scared that Alphas would take advantage of him and what to look out for to keep himself out of trouble. Other embarrassing topics came up of heats and courtship and scenting but he only listened with half an ear, face practically buried in his hands.

 

Armed with two of his father's finest daggers, snuck away under his shirt and strapped tight to his ankle beneath his pants, he headed to the largest village within walking distance. They had the biggest market outside of the city and the walk was only a mile and a half, nothing he wasn't used to. It would be the most strenuous exercise he'd had in more than a week and he was excited for it. A lot of his friends lived there or would be visiting so he could share his good news.

 

Ray Sr. watched his son walk down the long dirt path, keeping his eyes on the boy until he disappeared down the road that would take him to own. His protective instincts were boiling over in his chest. He almost couldn't believe his son had become such a beautiful Omega in such a short time, his kind heart and his bright smile only enhancing his new status. It seemed the gods themselves were punishing him by making his son so coveted, by Alphas he had yet to meet and the king himself. He had already received so many congratulations and some hesitant courting offers from the Alphas and Betas from the nearest village over the hill. As word got out he knew it would only get worse.

 

o0o

 

Ray attracted attention from the moment he stepped into town but he didn't notice a bit of it, too enraptured with the stronger scent of the flowers and the grass and the very air. He was stealing of glances and hearts just walking along the hay and dirt strewn path through the market. Fruit and fish and baubles were dropped with muttered curses by flustered Alphas. While Ray sifted through corn and coils of thread he was blissfully unaware that he smelled like a real luxury. Sugar and whipped topping and toffee drizzled over ripe fruit – he caught the nose of everyone who walked by. Even the Beta women around the village batted their lashes at the boy, enamored by his faint scruff and dark eyes, the feminine plump of his thighs and strong muscle of his forearms.

 

Ray nearly dropped his basket when his friends swarmed on him near the courtyard. They laughed and hugged and started scenting his hair and wrists, him doing the same in return in the way his father had told him to do. He asked about Danny, his long time Alpha friend, but the others told him he was out to pick up a delivery for his family's business.

 

o0o0o0o

 

It had been two weeks since Ray had been to work and he missed it greatly. Somehow he managed to convince his father to let him go alone, arriving with the morning fog and nodding to the guards as he passed through the gates. A tall guard with pale skin and dark hair greeted him by title on his way to the garden's archway, double-taking at the new Omega before bowing properly.

 

“It's good to have you back.”

Ray laughed softly at the Alpha's actions and continued on. He greeted the plants much differently than he had his human friends, touching their leaves and petals softly and cooing to them. He started making a mental list of things to do. Weeding, watering, uprooting, and some plants had died from neglect and would have to be pulled and reordered.

 

Ray was lost in his head and he missed the sound of someone approaching but he didn't miss the scent. He inhaled deeply and tilted his head up, nose twitching at the familiarity there was there. It was buttery and old and so deliciously warm, coating his palette and sliding down the back of his throat. He whipped around and smiled broadly when he spotted a cloaked Alpha coming up the path, mist swirling around his leather boots. The hood was pushed back once he was close enough and Ryan's handsome face was revealed, lips curved in a smile but red bruises of exhaustion under his tired eyes.

 

“My lord,” Ray greeted breathlessly.

 

“Ray,” Ryan sighed in relief, “You've finally presented.”

 

Ray drank his fill of the man he'd been heat-dreaming about but was overcome with a sudden rush of shyness. He looked away and rubbed at his warm cheek. “Our family owes you so much, my lord. Sending for Joshua, the healer, was something we could never afford. I would've been on my own with a few midwives if not for you. They were my mothers friends and they mean well but they helped give birth to me. It would've been horribly embarrassing to look them in the face after seeing me like that. Joshua was very kind.”

 

_There I go, running my mouth again._

 

Ryan came closer and Ray could see the Alpha was looking at him differently. No, not differently, more _openly_. He'd caught the man making eyes at him a few times but this gaze was held without hesitation. It was admiration and affection, both so clearly etched in his eyes.

 

“Your scent...” Ryan's lashes fluttered as he took in another lungful. “Ray, forgive me, but your scent among the flowers is one of the sweetest I've ever smelled. Though I would call you enchanting before, now you are more divine than the roses themselves.”

 

“My lord, you flatter me.” Ray fiddled with his sleeve, listening as the Alpha came closer until he was standing in front of him. “If there is anything I can ever do to repay you, you need only ask.”

 

“There is only one thing I ask and it is to truly sample your scent,” Ryan replied, dropping to one knee and looking up at the Omega with an offered hand. “If you would allow me such an honor.”

 

“My lord,” Ray bit his tongue. “Ryan, I...the honor would be mine. Truly.”

 

Ray took a low, shaky breath and pulled back his right sleeve. He laid his hand in the Alpha's own with a heady mix of excitement and anticipation pumping through his veins and into his gut. The man's lips bussed across his knuckles with a murmured _thank you_ that made Ray shiver. Ryan turned his hand over, thumb tucked along a smooth palm. His eyes settled on the boy's pale inner wrist, the flesh so thin and delicate and calling to his mouth like a siren.

 

There was an errant thought to grabbing the Omega by the back of the neck and bending him over the nearest bench to taste him from the source, but there would be a time for all that. Now it was the time for something softer, something new.

 

The start of it all.

 

Ryan restrained himself and locked down his howling Alpha instincts, forcing himself to treat this Omega how he deserved. This was not a fling. Ray was special and he would be handled as such. He rubbed his nose along the boy's wrist, the heat of the contact making more of that mouth-watering scent bloom from his skin. It was unbearably soft and he was overcome with the urge to kiss it, so he did. Ray's tiny gasp was music to his ears and he suckled lightly along his wrist, the tip of his tongue darting out to get a real taste.

 

It was like licking honey straight off the spoon.

 

Ray wanted to tease the lord about proper scenting etiquette but the sensation of tongue and lips on his skin was beyond anything he'd dreamed. Everything buzzed and hummed inside of him, his whole body firing up and coming alive. It was like a second wind, a fresh burst of energy.

 

With Ryan kneeling at his feet, eyes closed in worship, Ray felt as if he could do anything. He could sprout wings and fly. He could take on an army, scale any wall, breathe fire – he was unstoppable. It was a all consuming and powerful, addictive, and he took it all in with great gulps. _Alpha_ , he wanted to say, but bit his tongue.

 

“You fit so well here,” Ryan whispered into his palm.

 

“And you _there_ , my lord.”

 

Ryan looked up in surprise.

 

The palpable power shift made Ray chuckle and feel light all over.

 

 

 

 

 


	13. Michael - the Mad Prince, the King's Hunstman, the Warrior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan takes a personal interest in Michael, and he will see it through to the end.

**Ramsay is the guard Adam has been training, the one I stole from Game of Thrones and morphed into an OC. Not Ramsey as in Geoff. Very important clarification there.**

**Also important - read[THIS](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2472428/chapters/5509025) first because it fits well before this chapter. The Mad Prince Michael was PastelPrinceling's fully formed idea where my Michael had been bound for a mildly tamer life. Thankfully, they used the light on the possibility and inspired me.**

 

* * *

 

 

Michael and Gavin began to attend court more regularly, the younger taking his role as Royal Cup Bearer very seriously. The processions could go on for hours so Gavin made sure the queen was well fed and had water, that the king's wine goblet never emptied, and would even sneak a cup of grog for Ramsey in between presenters. Michael often sat behind the thrones where no one could see but sometimes Ray would insist on his company, pouting and giving big eyes until the other Omega relented and allowed a cushioned stool to be placed beside Gavin's own. It was far from uncomfortable but he felt like he was being put on display.

 

This particular day was the start of something that no one would be able to predict.

 

The king's words started to get sharper, his judgements harsher, his dismissals more frequent. Michael knew he wasn't the first to acknowledge it but he seemed to be the only one displeased with it. A drunken Alpha was no fit decision-maker.

 

Gavin's ears picked up the empty clang of the king's goblet and he grabbed the pitcher off his little table. He stood up as the presenter left, request rejected, but Michael stood up with him and put a hand on the pitcher.

 

“Michael?” he inquired softly, glancing at the royal couple.

 

“No more,” Michael advised. “Get new water from the kitchen. Tell Jack to mix it with ice chips and lemon, and use one of the metal pitchers from the cooler.”

 

Gavin turned to look at Ray who urged him to obey with a wave before distracting his husband. The young Omega went down to the kitchen and back, following his mate's orders. When he returned he refilled the king's goblet, hands threatening to shake as he refused to look at the Alpha for fear of punishment. Ryan took a drink, paused, then sighed and took another.

 

Michael smiled to himself as the next villager came in and was treated with much more lenience.

 

Afterward, in the outer hall, Ray came up to him and laced their arms. The queen's smile was sweet, as always, and the way their shoulders touched sent heat through them both. He greeted the queen politely and walked with him, unsure of what he wanted but glad to keep him company.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Michael frowned. “What for, Your Grace?”

 

“Your courage to day in court...” Ray clicked his tongue. “Not many would pull a stunt like that. I know the king can become quite harsh but you saw through that.”

 

“Drink makes rage easy,” Michael commented, remembering nights stayed up crying into strong wine to try and forget the touch of a hundred Alphas.

 

“Your insight is much appreciated.”

 

Michael smiled and blanketed the queen's hand on his arm. “I serve the crown. It is my duty now.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

When Michael entered the king's bedroom chambers he did so with a measure of trepidation. He'd never been there before seeing as his place was within the queen's court and the outskirts of the training yard. The room was warmed from the roaring fire and draped in shades of the royal colors, the tapestries and fur rugs keeping the chill of stone from seeping into everything. In his hands the Omega carried a food tray heaped with nearly raw steak. Gavin and Kerry, the usual servers for the king, had gagged at the sight of all the bloody juice and refused to touch it. The food looked good to him and his mouth watered at the smell drifting out from under the metal covering. So Michael had taken up the task while his mate saw the queen to his own chambers to undress and get ready for bed. 

 

King Haywood had demanded to be alone tonight, claiming stress and a need to be alone. Ray had seemed very understanding and had kissed his husband then on the cheek, proclaiming that he would miss him and would see him at breakfast. The look on the king's face had been a mix of relief and affection. Michael was always surprised to see the love between the royal couple but when he did it was touching, almost flattering in the way they allowed him to see such an intimate thing.

 

Michael took three steps into the room and realized the king was undressing. He shook it off once he saw the Alpha wasn't paying attention to him. The king was still in his boots and kilt, belts wrapped around his hips. He wore thin, leather armor that dissolved into straps over his right shoulder and completely covered his left, the material like a sleeve down his arm on that side. It was good, strong material from what he could see.

 

Ryan was growling as he tugged on the right buckle, the metal snap sticking. The growling grew as he got more and more frustrated, edgy now with an empty stomach and the stress of the day cramping his limbs and making his blunt fingers clumsy. Michael watched him from the corner of his eye while he put the plate on a large silver tray along with a decanter of wine and a goblet. There was a loud snarl before a _snap_ , the king having ripped the strap.

 

Michael quickly grabbed silverware, As he took the wide tray over he saw the king holding the whole torso piece between his hands with a glimmer of remorse in his eyes. He greeted Michael with a grunt and sat down at the low table nearest the fire. The couches nearly touched the floor but they were plush and easy to sprawl on, comfortable enough to help ease Ryan's stiff muscles. He set the tray in front of the king.

 

“Let me take this,” Michael urged, easing the armor piece from the king's slack grip. “It's been too long since you've eaten anything substantial.”

 

Ryan uncovered the tray and breathed in the rich steam of spice and blood. Michael waited until the king started to eat before he sat down across from him and began to examine the damage and the material. Ryan moaned in relief and tossed down his fork, stomach so empty he couldn't be bothered with propriety in his own room. He plucked up the beautiful slices of raw beef and devoured them, canines tearing through the red flesh. Lips and fingers stained red, he began to slow down and look at the Omega curiously.

 

“This shouldn't be too hard to mend,” Michael stated, fingers dancing over the broken metal clasp.

 

Ryan's brow furrowed in confusion. “I thought you could only mend weapons?”

 

“Armor too,” Michael grunted. “Don't worry. I can see you favor this piece and I can have it done by tomorrow morning.” He suddenly remembered who he was talking to. “Sire.”

 

Ryan's bloody lips twisted into a grin, pleased by the boy's knowledge and the appropriate amount of fear in his tone. “Don't worry too much. Get it done when you can. I'll pay you well.”

 

“I couldn't take your money,” Michael shot back immediately, nearly cutting him off. “The queen provides us with everything we need.”

 

“But you're a mated boy with an energetic little bird as a companion,” Ryan pointed out, licking the juice off his thumb. “Surely there's special treats he likes or a bauble or two that would make him smile? And you could always buy better tools, maybe start saving for your own set of armor.”

 

“Sire, why would I need armor?”

 

Ryan shrugged, draining his cup before pouring another. “Life is perilous and sudden, sweet Michael.”

Michael was flattered by the endearment. It was so rare he recieved kind, Alpha praise when he knew he would be safe. He could feel his cheeks pinking up. The king carelessly slid the plate towards the middle of the table, slapping the full goblet down beside it so hard some of the rich wine splashed out. “Here.”

 

Michael shook his head. “No thank you, my king.”

 

“Come,” Ryan urged, taking a slice of meat and popped it between his lips. He chewed and licked his fingers clean as he sat back on the couch, spreading out and showing off the broad expanse of his chest. There were thick scars laced there, some pink but most white as the moon on a clear night. Michael's eyes danced to the floor as he tried not to stare. Their king was a handsome Alpha, he would not deny that, but he could not help but feel inappropriate.

 

Michael had never really had good Omega instincts. The proper thing to do would be to submit, to simper and take his leave. But he didn't want this to be over, whatever it was, so he reached out and snatched a thick slice of steak off the plate. It was warm between his fingers but cool on his tongue, the red center splashing flavor through his mouth. It was good, more than, and he greedily took another piece.

 

He missed the way Ryan smiled when took up the goblet and drank heartily.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Michael's hands were bone-white on the railing. He watched the squires train in hopes of being knights but they were a fumbling bunch of weak-wristed boys and it made him frustrated. He had to wait on sidelines of the courtyard and those worthless Alphas got to train. It seemed vastly unfair. _Idiots._

 

The session came to an end and Burnie walked off with a new headache and a sense of disappointment. Michael headed down to the yard as the squires started shedding their pitiful armor and putting their wooden and blunted swords away in the display rack. He could see from a distance that a lot of them would have to be replaced.

 

A fat squire passed him and tossed a torn gauntlet against his chest. “Fix it by tomorrow, Omega. And I don't want to hear any of your lip about having too much to do.”

 

Michael's lip pulled up in a snarl to show off his tiny, sharp canines. “I wouldn't have to waste all my time if you lot weren't so terrible on the field.”

 

The Alpha turned around and glared at him. “What you say, boy?”

 

“I _say_ that the army will have more luck with rabid dogs on the field than you pathetic lot. Especially you,” Michael spat. “You spent the past hour making craters in the dirt instead of swinging your sword.”

 

“You little slut!” The fat squire charged him. “You think you know anything about fighting? You Omegas are good for nothing else but hanging off my knot and pouring my wine. Come here you little – _oh gods_.”

 

Michael grabbed the fist that swung at him and twisted the squire's arm so hard it nearly popped out of place, skin bulging with bone where they normally wouldn't. The Alpha squealed when he he pressed up and threatened to snap it completely.

 

“What is going on here!?”

 

The king's bellow carried across the courtyard and sent ice through the blood of all who heard it. The crowd of squires parted and they dropped to their knees. The king looked furious, brow bare of crown but the scowl on his face holding as much power as anything else. Michael release the squire and stepped back, bowing his head, wishing the queen was nearby. He was as afraid of Haywood as anyone else but having Ray by his side seemed to change the Alpha, softening him, and he wasn't fearful of punishment. But as the king stomped toward them his heart started pounding.

 

“Burns leaves you but for a moment and you collapse into squabbling children,” Ryan growled out, looking at the group before his gaze settled on the Omega and the fat squire who was rubbing his shoulder. “I expected better of my queen's favored. What happened?”

 

“This Omega was getting mouthy with me, sire,” the squire hissed. “He put his hands on me. He's obviously forgotten his place!”

 

Ryan raised a brow, expression strangely calm before he bent down briefly to pull a silver dagger from his boot. He grabbed the squire by his collar to hold him still before slicing a deep line down his fat cheek. The inferior Alpha howled and collapsed to his knees the moment he was released. He clutched at his face and started crying, begging in nonsense syllables for the king to spare him.

 

“Silence,” Ryan ordered, wiping his blade off on the trembling man's shoulder. “Show me your face, you worthless shit.”

 

The squire's hands fell and he tilted his head back, whimpering pathetically as the king grabbed his chin and tilted his head this way and that.

 

“I like it,” Ryan decided, releasing him with a jerk. “I believe that shall be my new calling card for those who greatly displease me but I don't find worthy enough to kill. What do you think, Michael?”

 

“Fitting, my king,” Michael replied eagerly, smirking at the man's face. “Pretty, even.”

 

“Pretty,” Ryan repeated thoughtfully, tucking the blade back into his boot sheath. He cleared his throat. “If anyone gives Michael or any other able-bodied Omega trouble here where we are brought to learn the art of battle, I will personally leave a mark on them that will not soon fade.”

 

Michael smiled down at the ground. “You're generous, my king.”

 

“I am fair,” Ryan promised, “Omegas should be taught to fight even more so than brainless, bastard Alphas. Would you wish to learn, Michael?”

 

The Omega looked up and nodded quickly, seizing the opportunity he'd been dreaming of since he and his mate had been attacked in their chambers back in Sparta.

 

The king's smile held an edge of darkness. “Excellent, my boy. Most excellent.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

Michael took the best set of training armor in his size as well as a blunted sword, spending his free time practicing when the yard was empty. Once he was certain he'd gotten good enough he asked Burnie to let him train with the others. The Lord Commander was easy to agree, wondering out loud how good the Omega truly was. There had been no spite or innuendo in his tone so Michael's didn't let his irritation bubble over into his actions.

 

He was paired with Geoff, the Painted Knight, and the man was babying him. The treatment only served to enrage Michael and soon his mouth started to run. The king was watching them from the high stand along with Dan, both nobles following their every moment with hawk-like eyes. So the Omega started shooting every insult he could think of. Calling him a drunk, a lout, a leech attached to the crown's coffers, poking fun at his age and lack of speed. Anything to make the man treat him as an equal.

 

“I'm an Omega, not a weakling!” Michael barked, landing a blow so hard to Geoff's stomach that the man went down to the ground. “Alpha Knights.” He spat in the dirt at the man' feet. “They're all the same. _You're_ the weak ones, not me. I'll fight anyone, you only want to fight each other. Alphas are pathetic creatures and your softness for us will be your downfall.”

 

Michael shuddered all over, flashing back to being a prize in Alpha fights. The phantom touch of fingers sliding deep into his hole, wine poured down his throat to make him pliant and wet. The way they'd grip his thighs and praise his soft skin, palming his limp cock and snickering at the smoothness of it. “You disgusting, loathsome-”

 

Geoff had gotten to his feet while the boy was lost in his head and had taken his shield up, coming at him with more speed than he'd showed during their fight. He bashed Michael in the face, no hesitation, and the Omega cried out in shock and pain. He fell and kicked up dirt, hands clutching his bloody nose and chin.

 

“Mouthy brat,” Geoff sneered.

 

Michael got up on his knees and lowered his hands to see them covered in his own blood. He spat a scarlet glob onto the ground and looked up to the Painted Knight. The boy licked a swatch of frothy blood off his fingertips, the taste of himself churning up all those righteous feelings that drove him to perform at his best. He got to his feet and picked up his sword, moving into the defensive stance Burnie had shown the squires. “Now we're talking.”

 

The engaged in a true battle, giving and taking blows. Geoff was lenient in the way he gave the boy a chance to swing, left openings and waited for him to find them, but there were no kid gloves to be seen as he smacked him around. At one point Geoff got Michael in a head lock with one arm while the other held out the Omega's arm and applied pressure to his wrist, trying to force him to release his sword. The boy almost relented but at the last moment drove his head into the man's face. Geoff dodged and let go just in time to keep his nose from being broken but it did bust his lip. They danced around one another, boots skimming across the ground, muscles flexing and burning as they swung and parlayed and the Omega knocked himself against the other's shield. The younger had more energy and enthusiasm but the older had the experience.

 

It ended with Geoff tripping Michael up and sending him face down onto the ground, stomping on his hand and kicking his sword away. The boy tried to get up onto his hands and knees, ready to keep fighting, but the blunt tip of a sword against the small of his back gave him pause.

 

“A good warrior knows when to yield,” Geoff informed him.

 

“Aye,” Michael panted harshly, lungs burning in his chest. “I yield then.”

 

“Good,” Geoff sighed in relief, circling around and offering his hand. “By the gods, you are one tough Omega. Up, then, boy. Catch your wind.”

 

Michael brushed the Alpha's hand away with an excuse he could get up himself as the sound of slow clapping filled the yard.

 

“Spectacular,” Ryan stated, coming toward them with Dan at his heels. “Both of you.”

 

Ryan shed his gloves and gave them to Dan, holding out his hand for the Omega. Michael looked at the Alpha's fingers and broad palm, truly no different from Geoff's, and decided to take it. He allowed the king to bring him to his feet and was pulled close to be examined. He caught the Omega's chin and smoothed his ruffled curls with the other hand, running a thumb along his bruised jaw.

 

 _Grooming_. Michael wanted to purr but he swallowed down that urge.

 

“Beautiful, Michael, just beautiful,” Ryan praised warmly, kissing the boy's blood smeared cheek like a reward. Michael blushed and leant into it, the touch branding his skin. The king pulled back with dark eyes and a manic grin, lips stained with the Omega's blood. He looked every inch the “Mad King” the civilians whispered about, but the expression was gone in a flash. “You're full of surprises, my Michael. Come. Let's get you cleaned up.”

 

A solid arm was wrapped around his shoulders and the Alpha's baked-hearth scent filled his nose.

 

“He's a treasure,” Geoff drawled sarcastically, wiping the bloody mouth with a cloth from his pocket.

 

Ryan shot him a strange look. “You would be lucky to have such a mate, Ramsey.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ray crawled into his husband's bed, silver robe fluttering around his thighs as he settled into the plump pillows. He took his book off the nightstand and flipped open to the marked page, the candles still lit and the fire going to give the room light. It was a volume about Dorne that he'd found in the library and it was fascinating. He hoped to plan a trip there soon for him and his father, maybe take his Omega boys along to show them more of the civilized world. Dorne was such a forward thinking place, full of same-status couples, and he hoped to put them at ease with their choice.

 

His skin prickled and he realized Ryan was prowling towards him, crawling on hands and knees until he hovered over the queen. Ray sighed happily at the warmth and heat but didn't look up from his book.

 

“I want to borrow Michael more in the future,” the king began, nuzzling the Omega's chest and kissing the silk. “I know he's part of your court, my flower, but I would like to...get to know him.”

 

The book snapped shut and was tossed aside. Ray sat up on his elbow and snagged his husband's face, thumb and forefinger digging hard into his cheeks to make sure he had his attention. “You don't touch my boys.”

 

“Not like that, darling,” Ryan promised, easing off the boy's vice grip and kissing his hand. “I want to groom him into something great. And you have no room to talk.” The Alpha moved up and started kissing his mate's neck in the way he knew he liked. “I know you've been taking the Omega mates into your bed. I can smell them all over your skin in the morning.”

 

“Ryan,” Ray gasped as the man's hands ran up his thighs, silk robe bunching at his wrists.

 

“It used to be every night you'd stay in my chambers but you seem to like your Omega love nest better as of late,” he hummed against the boy's fluttering pulse.

 

Ray shook his head weakly as the Alpha's canines skimmed just above his collarbone, “W-W don't do anything.”

 

“Liar,” Ryan accused lightly, thumbs tucked into the creases of his mate's thigh and hip, “Do you think I care if you rub your smooth little Omega cocks all over one another?” He wet his lips at the image, thinking of his queen moaning sweetly while rutting against swell of Gavin's ass or the plump flesh of Michael's thigh. “I like the thought of it though, I will not contest that.”

 

Ryan ripped open the silk robe and bared Ray's body to him. The boy shivered and writhed under his king's hungry gaze, parting his thighs and canting up his hips to show off the jut of his hard cock and the smooth plane of his chest. Ryan sighed and etched the vision into his mind to remember on cold nights out on the field with his men. He grabbed his queen's hip and slid a hand around to cradle his back, purring roughly as he dragged the boy into his lap. Ray gasped against Ryan's lips as he felt his husband's covered hardness pressing against his own.

 

“It makes me want to fuck you even harder, you minx.”

 

Ray rocked his hips forward, rubbing his wet cock over his husband's stomach and whining from the sensation and the filthy words.

 

“It makes me want to rub my seed into your skin so that when your pretty Omega boys scent you all they will smell is _me_.”

 

Ray seared a kiss across the king's lips. “Then do it. Show them, husband. Show them who I belong to.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

“What a little scholar the Rose Queen is,” Gavin teased light-heartedly as Ray ate his breakfast with two books laid out in front of him, a blank parchment and ink for making notes at his elbow. Michael pinched his mate on the ass and grinned when he got the boy to squawk.

 

“Leave him be. A queen has to be knowledgeable and regal and composed – which is why you'll always be a cup boy,” Michael jabbed with a grin, smacking a kiss on his mate's cheek. “But you're my favorite cup boy.”

 

“Bloody louse,” Gavin cursed with a smile. “Grab some plates for us, I'm starved.”

 

Ray smiled around his fork and gestured for them to join him. He chewed and swallowed when he saw the older Omega boy grab for the decanter. “No, please, Michael, it's much too early for you boys to be drinking. Water or citrus juice only, if you don't mind.”

 

“A healthy academic,” Michael tisked, capping the decanter and reaching for the jugs on the table instead. He brought them over and poured them all some juice. Ray only kept wine in his outerchambers for the mates, he explained often that he hated the drink and how it made his head fuzzy. Even the stuff he did keep was weak and flowery but the mates had grown to like it.

 

The door opened and Ryan came in, Dan following close. The Omega mates bowed their head and greeted their king in unison, shooting smiles to the Spartan noble. The two Alphas were dressed in leather hunting armor and capes, Dan sporting wolf fur along the collar of his own darker one. While the younger Alpha pressed small kisses to the tops of his friends' heads, Ryan cupped the back of his mate's neck and stole him in a deep kiss that had the smaller moaning his gratitude.

 

“I love how you smell in the morning, my sweet flower,” Ryan murmured against his lips, petting his hair lovingly before raising up. “Good morning, boys. I'm here for Michael.”

 

Michael frowned. “Sire?”

 

“Get dressed, youngling,” Dan urged, passing to him a bulky parchment package. “You're going on a hunt with us.”

 

Michael's mouth dropped open rather dumbly. Ray often spoke of these trips with the king and his Hound. They were Alpha bonding trips, something Ryan did to relieve stress and get some time away from the courtiers and his responsibilities. Times to be himself. He'd heard the whispers between Dan and the queen of what exactly went on during the trips and it was always in lower whispers and hidden, sweet little caresses along the royal Omega's arms and back.

 

The Omega couldn't turn down such a tempting offer. He took the package to the queen's bedroom and closed the door. Inside was armor very similar to what the Alphas were wearing. Light but covering, simple and strong, very easy to move in.

 

When he he emerged from the room fully dressed and clasping the cloak at the base of his neck, he asked the others how he looked. He felt a little self conscious matching both his kings but he felt surprisingly capable and stalwart in the leather.

 

“You look lovely,” Gavin cooed, launching at himself at his mate and kissing him. Michael wrapped his boy up in his arms and swiped his tongue through his sweet mouth, nails scratching in soft hair. Gavin pulled away and pressed his wet lips to his mate's ear. “Be careful.”

 

“Always, _dove_ ,” Michael purred quietly, rubbing their cheeks together as his boy shuddered in his grip. The nickname he'd wanted to give him back in Sparta had come out more lately now with Dan so distracted by the royal couple and his duties. The Spartan Alpha scented with them often and they knew his bed was always open but he was slipping out of his role as king and into this new Hound persona.

 

The Hound belonged to the king, the Omega mates knew that, and they'd decided to leave it for now until whatever that was came to fruition.

 

“Such pretty boys,” Ryan mused, stealing a swig from his queen's cup and grinning when the Omega barely looked up from his book to tell him to go away. “You're so feisty in the mornings, my flower. I'm merely suggesting that I wish my Kingsguard were half as handsome.”

 

The wink he shot at Dan made the Spartan blush. “You're shameless, my king.”

 

o0o

 

Michael pulled his cloak tighter around him and watched the dance of the flames. The night was alive around him. Crickets chirped and the leaves rustled. The horses were tied to the nearest tree and their hooves stamped in the dirt, huffing soft noises once in a while. They had little luck finding game though they had been out since the morning, but they'd filled the time with idle chat and stories and the trip to Dorne Ryan was planning for Ray on his Name Day.

 

Dan had woven intricate snares and placed them strategically near tree notches and holes in the brush, the king giving him soft instructions and showing him the best places to hang them. Three nice hares had been caught and skinned, laced through with sharpened sticks to put over the fire. It had been surprising to see the king snap each of the hares' necks before digging his blade under their scruffs, yanking their fur free almost completely intact. If he hadn't respected the monarch before he surely did now. A noble Alpha who worked with their hands was rare enough, let alone a king.

 

He'd nearly fallen off his log when Ryan had personally given him a large share, telling him he'd earned it. Michael's skill at fighting people had improved drastically in just a few weeks of proper training but his hunting skillset had proven untried but good. The king had declared him a natural from his few test shots at pine cones and nuts off trees.

 

“Tomorrow we'll have plenty of opportunity to find some real game. I don't expect you to shoot a bird from the sky quite yet.”

 

Dan and Ryan were laughing together, swapping court stories from their different countries. They were drinking dark liquor from wooden cups and sitting rather close. The king would sometimes lean in and scent the young Alpha's hair, getting him to smile and lean into it. It was a rather sweet scene though he was in mild shock that his Spartan king had grown so comfortable with Haywood. He left them to it and enjoyed his full belly and the fire.

 

He watched Ryan pour a full cup and get up, coming around he fire to sit down close beside the Omega on the log. When did it become so easy to call this king – the very one who had so vehemently wanted Dan's head on a spike, the one who was positively _flirting_ with said Spartan – by his first name in his head? _Ryan_. It was so fitting of the normal looking Alpha who was now offering him a cup and a smile.

 

“Here, boy. You had a good day. Boring, but good. Drink up.”

 

Michael took the cup. “Aren't you worried?”

 

“Not many people come out this far into the woods,” Ryan assured him. “We should be alone.”

 

Michael nodded and stared down into the rippling surface of the drink. He thought of the two Alphas looking at him with such sincere expressions and he knew they wouldn't try and take advantage of him. Strong drink had always led to awful acts that had left him sore and ruined in the morning but this was different, it had to be. These were his kings, they owned him and Gavin both, and he had no choice but to trust them. He took a long drink and winced at the strength of spice on his tongue but the liquor went down smooth. A big hand settled on the back of his neck as he took a second drink. The king pet him so gently, nails scratching playfully through his curls and down his nape. The sensation was soothing and dredged up unused Omega feelings until he purred. An Alpha's attention without demand or rules or harsh need was rare and he took it as gladly as he'd taken the attention from Dan.

 

“How could someone as beautiful as yourself hold so much deadly potential?” Ryan wondered out loud. “What a harem I would beg you to join if I was not so blindly in love with my gorgeous queen.” He laughed lowly. “But that's inappropriate it. Forgive me, Michael.”

 

“I'm more than I appear.” Michael smirked as he took another drink, the warmth of it coiling low in his belly. “And you would not have to beg, sire. My old king did not have to.”

 

Ryan's jaw dropped, amazed. “You and Daniel?”

 

Dan blushed darkly and looked down at his cup, avoiding the topic.

 

“How delicious,” Ryan purred, eyes a little blurry as he got lost in the image his mind conjured.

 

"My king, please..."

 

“Don't be so modest, _Daniel_ ,” Michael needled, tongue feeling loser. “You've helped us through both our heats.”

 

“And Gavin as well?” Ryan questioned eagerly.

 

“Of course!” Michael laughed a little too loudly. “He's my boy.”

 

“Wonderful.” The king smiled and took the cup out of the Omega's hands to partake, lips glistening from the sloppy drink.

 

“I haven't finished that!” Michael declared mirthfully, trying to reach across the Alpha to get it back but having it held far out of his reach. He clambered over the noble's body, half sitting on his lap and trying to grab the cup.

 

“I think you've had enough,” Ryan decided, enjoying the game of keep-away.

  
“You're cruel,” Michael griped, sitting back a little to look into the king's face. He was a handsome Alpha, as Gavin often mentioned when trying to make Ray blush. He had a strong jaw and eyes that held depth, true portals to his soul that was said to be blackened around the edges. The same soul that was twined with Ray's, held in a body that held scars and memories of dark times he could only imagine. They matched his own, in a way, and one day he would like to share his own stories. He smiled endearingly, putting the Alpha off-guard like he had for a hundred others. “So I will take what is left from _here_.”

 

Michael slanted his lips across the king's in a slow kiss, lapping so softly at the bitter drops that lingered there. Ryan was surprised at first but he laid a hand between the Omega's shoulder blades, eyes falling closed as he kissed back. It was the most innocent kiss he'd ever given an Alpha, the first kisses he shared with Dan a close second.

 

“Brat,” the king whispered as they parted.

 

Michael only licked the liquor off his own lips and moved to sit on his side of the log once more. He chuckled when he saw Dan's jealous glower. It pleased him greatly for some reason.

 

_I may be a bit drunk._

 

o0o

 

Michael awoke with a shiver. The fire had burnt out and the cold had set in. His clothes and cloak were fine material made for this weather but they weren't enough. He'd always needed more blankets in bed and he hadn't slept outside since before Dan found him. He turned on his side and tried to curl into a ball but he knew it wouldn't be enough.

 

On the other side of the fire pit Ryan sat up, the Spartan noble cuddled up in front of him. “Michael, come here.”

 

“I'm fine, sire,” he lied.

 

The king sighed in fond exasperation. “You're cold.”

 

The brief explanation was all the convincing Michael truly needed. He got up, cloak wrapped tight around him, and shuffled over to the pair. He laid down on the other side of Ryan and got the man to grunt out a small curse on stubbornness in Omegas before he grabbed the boy and dragged him closer. Michael barely hesitated before he snuffled his face into the king's warm chest. The scent heated his chest and the sensation spread through his limbs like water.

 

“Ray's one lucky Omega,” he mumbled sleepily, tongue feeling lazy in his mouth.

 

He fell asleep to the king's laughter.

 

o0o

 

The next time Michael woke up it was to a heavy snap of a branch and the whinny of one of the horses. Some time during the night Ryan had rolled away to spoon up behind Dan, the king's nose buried in his dark hair and an arm around his waist as they both slept soundly. The morning was dusky and grey, the chill of the night still in his fingers and toes.

 

Wisps of fog curled around the trees, the birds had just begun to sing, and there was a brown bear a few yards away staring right at him.

 

Michael's first instinct was to get away from the Alphas to protect them, to draw the threat away. He slowly eased across the ground, wincing when his ass hit the brush and leave crushed under his weight. The bear was snuffling on the ground, chasing the bones from their meal. Michael swallowed his whimpers and managed to get himself to the horses. He stood up with agonizing slowness and shushed the startled animals, breath stuttering as terror coursed ice cold through his veins. Trying not to pant too loudly, he took the bow and quiver the king had gifted him with off the horse's saddle. He side stepped away from the animals and put the arrows on his back, taking one and notching it in the string.

 

The bear roared and Michael fired off the first arrow from being startled than any real intent. It caught the beast in the back and he fumbled with the second one, panicked breathing trembling past his lips as he struggle to notch it. The bear bounded at him and he tried to run backward to get away, nearly falling as he fired the second one. It hit the leg this time and it only made the bear bellow again.

 

“Michael!”

 

Dan's voice rang through the trees but he could barely hear it past the pounding of his own heart.

 

Michael tripped up and smacked into a tree. His breath was knocked out of him but he managed to put up another arrow, getting on one knee and drawing back the bow. He took a quick breath, looked the beast straight in the face, and let loose the arrow.

 

It landed right between the bear's large, dark eyes. The beast's momentum took it sliding through the brush, legs giving out and mighty weight sending it sliding across the ground and landing right in front of the Omega. It heaved a last breath before going still. It took a few moments for Michael to tear his eyes away from the bear but when he did he saw the Alphas were staring at him, eyes wide and horrified.

 

Ryan was the first to get to his feet and he ran at Michael, dropping to his knees and scooping the boy up into his lap. Heavy hands started running all over him to look for wounds, to make sure he wasn't hurt. Michael chirped as the fear truly set in and he wrapped his arms around the man's shoulders. He could have easily died, they all could have. If he hadn't woken up – if the bear had been hungrier –

 

“I'm so proud of you.” Ryan's words finally started to register. “I can't believe what I saw. That beast was three times your size. Gods, we were so worried.”

 

“I thought you were lost.” Dan settled behind him, petting the Omega's back and laying his forehead at his nape. He breathed in his friend's scent and chased away the anxious flutters in his belly. “ _We're_ proud.”

 

He made a noise that was so _Omega_ it set both older men into protective mode. Michael had always buried his submissive instincts with an attempt to separate himself from the oozingly subservient brand of Omega. But now, with two Alphas pressed up against him, he truly gave in and let himself indulge. They pet the boy's red curls and kissed the paleness from his cheeks, rubbing his arms and shoulders until the chirps turned into a small purr.

 

Ryan stood and Dan helped the Omega to his feet, propping him up despite the boy's weak knees. The king cupped each side of Michael's jaw with his gloved hands, tilting his face up until their eyes met.

 

“What a brave, fearless boy you are, Michael.”

 

o0o

 

Gavin chanted his name higher and higher in that sweet lilt of his. Michael fucked him faster in reward, the other Omega's wet rim clinging greedily to his cock on every drag out. His mate's body was a perfect mix of eager and stubborn, milking his cock like it had a knot and tempting him with such sweet slick. Every time he pulled down his boy's pants he found him wet and needy, sometimes from just a few rough kisses. He was Gavin's first, his only, yet he had the sex drive of a trained harlot.

 

Gavin was on his hands and knees in front of him, the graceful sweep of his shoulder blades shining with sweat. The lovely mess of light hair was ruffled from Michael's own hands, sticking to temples and the soft nape of his neck. His eyes traced the gorgeous arch of his spine and his cock pulsed deep within his mate's body. His end was coming and he was dragging Gavin over with him.

 

Michael clamped his hand down on the back of his boy's neck and _squeezed._ Gavin whimpered and started pushing back into each thrust, one last cry of _Michael_ wrenching out of him before he started fluttering around the other Omega's smooth cock. There was a moment of breathless delight before Gavin started happily babbling, a sure sign that he was coming down from a good climax.

 

“My lovely Michael,” the young Omega cooed, thighs and sheets sticky with his own seed but the urge to ride his mate's cock was driving his hips to keep moving. “Always so wonderful to me. Feels so good, just... _Michael_ , gods, spill inside me, love. Want to be filled with you.”

 

“If I could breed a litter into you, I would,” Michael swore, thrusting that much harder at the thought of his mate laid out on a nest of pillows and swollen with child. “I would keep you tied to the bed, this pretty hole of yours stuffed like you could catch again. You would want for nothing. _Gavin_.”

 

Michael hunched over his boy, groaning into the skin between the other's shoulder blades as he pumped his seed deep within him as promised. Gavin moaned, spent and exhausted but loving the heat of his mate's release. He cooed when Michael whispered how much he loved him into his hair. The two of them pulled apart only long enough to properly cuddle on the bed, limbs twining together and lips finding one another. They could map one another in the dark if needed, fingers ingrained with the knowledge of the most pleasurable spots and the softest patches of skin.

 

Michael gazed lovingly into his mate's face, memorizing every detail, reminding himself of just how lucky he was to have him by his side. Gavin got flustered by the intensity and looked down at the other's chest, fingers splaying along where the Omega's strong heart resided.

 

“I could've lost you, love.”

 

“I know,” Michael husked. “But you didn't, did you? I'm right here with you. Nothing could take me away from you, not even that beast.”

 

There was a knock at the door. Michael frowned and slowly sat up, muscles still loose and useless. The Omega mates usually stayed in Ray's outerchambers or in the queen's bedroom itself. If someone were to come looking for them they would rarely come to their assigned quarters.

 

“You boys enjoy yourselves,” Dan's voice called through the door, cheeky and knowing. “I'm just dropping off a gift for the king's brave little Alpha boy.”

 

Michael colored at the nickname. He listened to the Spartan leave before he jumped out of bed and jerked open the door to see what had been brought. It was polished cherry wood trunk, the latch under a flat lock that held the king's family crest. A key was left in front of it. He walked over and unlocked it with childish wonder and unadulterated excitement. A gift from Ryan for protecting him? It could have been anything. He wasn't naturally so glutinous but he found himself enthusiastic to receive a present from the Alpha king. It had only been a day since they'd been back – what could he have come up with so quickly?

 

Michael flipped open the lid of the trunk and cooed at the sight piled within. It was a set of armor. He quickly pulled on a pair of small clothes before digging the outfit out one piece at a time. The belt of the bear he'd killed had been forged with dark, thick leather. He prodded and examined each piece as he started putting it on. The set was made in a higher quality than he could ever do and the thought thrilled him. The pieces were strategically looser around the bends of the arms and legs to give him room to use his natural speed and agility and the rest fit like a strong hug. There was fur, cleaned and sewn, on the knees and elbows, the thickest of it on the breastplate. The bear's muzzle had been underlined with leather to become a helmet that covered his ears. Jagged teeth and muzzle branched out from his head like a cap, just enough to keep the sun out of his eyes if need-be.

 

Michael stared at himself in the long polished glass that hung on the wall (a gift from the generous queen.) He adjusted the armor, shuffled around, but in the end he could only gape. He looked as fearsome as any Alpha. There was something raw about it like in the way Dan's wolf furs gave him an animalistic edge. He was _wearing_ his trophy and showing off his deeds, his triumph. He looked in the chest and there was a slim, long box as well. He opened it up and marveled at the twin pair of silver daggers resting upon velvet. He opened each up and they were thin and curved, perfect for skinning or finishing off a kill. The third object he didn't recognize. It was made of steel circles with a line and...

 

Michael picked it up and it slid over each of his fingers, the bar at the bottom fitting snugly against his palm. A second pair of knuckles that he was sure could shatter bone upon impact. How inventive. There was a note attached to it with a bit of string.

 

_My small Alpha,_

_An invention of my own. A perfect tool for interrogation._

_Don't aim for the face until you have taken what you needed._

_With hope, Your King_

 

Michael went warm at the words and he tightened his grip around the metal knuckles. It felt beyond empowering. There was a small, startled gasp behind him. He could see Gavin coming out of the bedroom with a sheet wrapped around his naked form, mouth open as he stared at his mate.

 

“You look really good, Michael,” Gavin said in a soft voice.

 

Michael turned to face him, arms over his chest, “You don't sound happy.”

 

“Well, what does this mean? What are you you to be?” Gavin insisted, pulling the sheet tighter. He swallowed loudly, nervously. “What does King Haywood want with you?”

 

“You're worried about nothing,” Michael assured him, slipping the metal knuckles away into its box less his mate become more agitated. “The king does not lust after me. If he did he would have done something when we were hunting. He has no aim to make me a consort, I can promise you that.”

 

Gavin didn't look convinced.

  
“You're my mate, Gavin,” Michael smiled, drinking in the sight of his mate still flushed and wrapped up in a sheet that smelled like them and a good rut. “Maybe one day there will be an Alpha in our lives but they will be for both of us. And it certainly won't be a king.”

 

“I guess I just miss Dan,” Gavin confessed, leaning against the door and heaving a great sigh. “It was nice to have an Alpha around. You've been growing so close the king and I thought you were...I don't know, Michael, I thought maybe you were feeling out the possibility.”

 

Michael pursed his lips and went up to his mate, digging a hand in his hair and dragging him in for a brief kiss. “I wouldn't do something like that without telling you. And I wouldn't let us become consorts. I would take you away in the middle of the night before it ever got to that. I wouldn't do it for Daniel and I won't do it for Ryan.”

 

“Ryan?” Gavin repeated with heavy surprise.

 

Michael drew back and cleared his throat. “Our new king, of course.”

 

Gavin started to smile. “You bloody called him _Ryan._ Is there something you're not telling me, boy?”

 

“Well,” Michael drew out, taking off his helmet and setting it on the nearest table. “I can't lie to you. I kissed him.”

 

Gavin's jaw dropped but there was no anger on his face. “Did you really?”

 

He nodded quickly. “It was for just a moment and I told the queen about it the moment I got back. I was going to tell you but we fell in bed and you know I can't think properly when you get in my lap.”

 

“What was it like?”

 

Michael's head whipped back to his grinning mate. “You're not angry?”

 

“How could I be angry?” Gavin chuckled. “It was probably a pretty sight. I'm only sad I missed it.”

 

Michael swept his mate up in his arms and tore the sheet away, kissing him deeply in the way that had the younger swooning when he pulled away. “I'm honored the gods have blessed me with such a bedmate. I should thank them more often for Daniel finding you and putting you into my arms.”

 

Gavin gave a throaty purr and hooked his fingers in the other Omega's breastplate. “I think we should go back to bed and _pray_ together, love.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

The night was still and silent outside the windows of Haywood castle. The breeze hardly disturbed the trees or open curtains, the wolves and crickets slept peacefully, and those few humans that walked around could only gaze up at the star-filled sky. The moon was hardly a sliver and the shadows that came with it crept into every stone corner and under every bed.

 

The queen's chambers, usually abandoned for the _warmth_ of the king's bed, were filled with the soft breaths of content Omegas.

 

Ray lay sprawled in the middle, head tilted back invitingly upon the pillow and chest bare. There were a few fading bite marks from his husband's loving treatment but otherwise he was unblemished. An offering to the night gods to gaze upon with envy.

 

Gavin was tucked into his side, hand splayed across the smaller Omega's chest and head resting in the crook of his tan shoulder. The Omega sighed heavily once in a while, legs twined with the queen's as he soaked up the warmth of the other's body. Gavin's golden lashes lay like butterfly wings across his high cheeks, bare back showing off laced scars from unforgiving Spartan whips.

 

Yet there was an empty space on Ray's right side, a perfect little burrow for another Omega. Gavin reached out for said missing piece and whined when his fingers met covers. He snuggled up closer to the queen and pressed their bare chests together, trying to mimic the feeling of his mate. Still asleep, Ray made a shushing noise and dug his fingers into the other Omega's hair to pet away the discomfort he could sense. The queen's name was murmured before Gavin settled down again.

 

A shadow fell across the bed but the Omega slept soundly. There was no light to catch the gleam of a polished iron dagger, nor enough to expose the face of the hooded man as he loomed over them. The man raised his weapon but gave pause when Gavin's hand swept down Ray's chest, the blanket catching on his arm and revealing the queen's chest and the pretty slope of his belly. The older Omega's fingers lay over the soft bulge of the other's cock, thumb hooking in the simple drawstring pants that protected his modesty.

 

Ray smiled and nuzzled his friend's hair. “Much to late for that, Gav.”

 

Gavin chuckled weakly against the queen's throat, kissing it softly like an apology.

 

The figure drew back his hood and wet his hungry lips, eyes eagerly dancing over the intimate sight of the two Omegas. His lust would be his downfall.

 

The figure cried out as his knees were kicked out from under him and he was put flat on his back from a well placed tug. He threw off his attacker and struck blindly but a burning stripe of pain across his palms was all he received. He drew back his hands and tried to run but a blade buried itself in his shoulder, agony ripping through him as he was tossed back down onto the floor by the grip on the dagger. He was struck so hard in the head his vision filled with black spots and then a weight fell on his stomach. The assassin blinked dumbly and saw nothing but pale skin and curls. Two hands wrapped around his throat and he could feel thumb trying to bury inside his windpipe. His anguished cry was followed by a sudden burst of light.

 

Gavin's hands were shaking but all the sleep had been erased from his eyes when he'd heard someone scream. He started lighting candles and the room revealed his mate upon one of the guards. Blood was spattered over the carpet and his mate's face, his arms, even his naked chest.

  
“Ramsay,” Michael snarled, letting up off his throat only when he was sure the assassin was going to pass out. “You fucking traitor!”

 

Ramsay, the young soldier who Adam had taken such a liking too and had been trusted to guard the queen's chambers, lay underneath the Omega with a flushed face and bleeding hands, a thin blade still buried in his shoulder.

 

Ray ordered Gavin to get the king and his Hound and to _hurry._ The Omega fled.

 

Michael raised his fist, silver knuckles putting a threatening line across his fingers. “Who else was involved?”

 

Ramsay shook his head, tight-lipped. Michael reared back and dug his knee into the Alpha's stomach, nearly getting himself retched on if he had not clamped down so tightly on his throat again. “Who else?!”

 

“Clegane,” Ramsay choked out, eyes looking ready to burst.

 

“Bastard,” Michael spat. “Why? Why would you do such a thing? You were _trusted_! You had everything in front of you! Why would you throw that all away? How can you be so _ungrateful_?”

 

“He is low-born!” Ramsay hissed through his blood stained teeth. “Our queen should be of noble blood! This peasant is unworthy!”

 

The door was thrown open and the others came in.

 

“You and those who think like you are nothing but jealous idiots and spiteful creatures,” Michael snarled in the Alpha's face. “Having the king choose and marry him makes him noble. To murder him in his bed like a coward...you knew what you were doing was wrong.”

 

Ramsay scowled deeply. “There are more like me with sharper daggers and stealthier feet.”

 

“I don't care. He may not be the queen you want, but he's the queen you deserve. Anyone who looks upon him can see that.”

 

“He is a garden whore!” Ramsay tried to sit up but he was slammed back down. “A consort of Omegas and _dogs_ and he will never last. We will rebel!”

 

Michael drew back his fist. “Then I shall squash you one at a time.”

 

The first blow sent a fine spray of blood across the Omega's grimace. The sickening crunch horrified Ray and he had to close his eyes and turn his head away, pressing against the headboard as if he could get further away. The second broke up bone chips and flesh yielded under his power. A satisfied smirk broke out over Michael's face as the third stroke caved in Ramsay's face, nose nearly tearing away and the sockets of his eyes crackling under the weakened structure. One last blow spattered grey and white tissue across the carpet along with fat drops of blood.

 

Michael sat back on the warm corpse and panted lightly, scarlet stained fingers flexing around his metal knuckles before they _clunked_ to the floor. He was still grinning, eyes closed in bliss as a euphoric sense of accomplishment poured through him. He'd seen the last light in Ramsay's eyes, felt the final heave of the Alpha's body between his thighs, felt the heat of his blood – by the _gods_ , he could taste the iron on his lips.

 

“Daniel. Fetch Burns and his most trusted men.” Ryan sounded every inch the king he was. “Tell him to bring Joel to clean this mess up and dispose of the body. Ramsey as well. I want him outside my door with two of his chosen.”

 

“Clegane,” Michael breathed, eyes still closed as he savored the high as the body cooled beneath him. “The traitor didn't say anyone else, but 'Clegane' was clear.”

 

He felt and heard his king approaching so he got to his feet and bowed his head. Strong fingers curled under his chin and tilted it up in what was becoming a familiar gesture.

 

“My Michael,” Ryan purred, the same dark glee the Omega had felt now shining in the king's gaze.

 

“He did not lay a hand on the queen,” Michael swore. “ _That_ I made sure of.”

 

The kiss was not unexpected but it made him melt, the king's clever tongue lapping the copper from his lips as Michael had licked the liquor from his own.

 

“Good boy,” Ryan praised in a honey sweet purr, stroking back the boy's wet curls. “You did so well. I will not forget this.”

 

The king patted his cheek one last time before sweeping past him to crawl in bed with the confused, shivering queen. “Now, now, darling. Michael has taken care of it. Your Omega boy has protected you. We spoke of this happening – don't cry, my flower”

 

“I-I'm alright.”

 

“You're shaking.”

 

“Am I dismissed, sire?” Michael asked, hesitant to disturb them.

 

“Of course, Michael,” the king replied quickly. “You've earned it.”

 

Michael padded through the tacky puddle of blood that had grown around the assassin, vision tunneling and focusing on his mate. Gavin was slumped against the wall, gazing at the approaching Omega with half lidded bedroom eyes. A long finger was tucked between his teeth, cheeks ruddy from the violent display, fine little tremors working through his chest and down his arms.

 

“We should go back to our chambers,” Gavin advised, voice pitched low. “I'll clean you up, love.”

 

Michael grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the queen's chambers.

 

o0o

 

Michael grabbed Gavin by the throat, seared a kiss across his lips, and threw him hard onto their bed. The young Omega bounced just once and then he shed his sleep pants, long cock slapping up against his furry belly. He sat up on his elbows as he looked Michael over with obvious hunger, the dry stains of blood on his mate's skin looking like exotic stripes of war paint. His boy looked like a warrior Alpha out of one of those lusty Omegan tavern stories. Gavin cooed his name as he spread his thighs and tilted his head back to expose the vulnerable line of his throat.

 

Michael's snarl made his hole clench and slick trickled down onto the bed. The older Omega pounced on him and gripped him under his knees, bending his lithe body nearly in half. Gavin willingly hooked his legs over Michael's shoulder, opening his mouth obediently to be plundered as he was fucked into. His mate had always been thick for an Omega and was curved as if carved to personally pleasure every spot inside Gavin, to make him see the heavens when he closed his eyes.

 

Michael was positively _savage_ , teeth biting all over his throat as if tenderizing him while his fingers dug deep into the younger Omega's sides. He'd only pushed his sleep pants down far enough to take out his cock, the material, clinging to his thighs and the bottom of his ass as he thrust hard into his mate. It was a sloppy, harsh rhythm but they both got off on the roughness. Michael liked the tight slide and Gavin enjoyed being carved out to fit his mate's cock. Iron and sweat and slick filled their noses and it only drove up their need.

 

“You saved us.” Gavin raked his fingers over the other's pale shoulders, blood catching under his nails. “You killed him so easily, Michael, and you kissed the bloody _king_. I never knew – I never thought you could be – ”

 

“What, boy?” Michael growled out, latching tight to his neck and biting down to feel the flutter of his pulse under his teeth.

 

“Such an _Alpha_ ,” Gavin whimpered breathlessly.

 

o0o

 

After they had taken all the pleasure they could from one another, Gavin had the other Omega sit down and relax while he built a fire and boiled water. By the time he came over with a shallow, steaming basin and a soft flannel, Michael was drained and ready to fall asleep. Gavin cooed sweetly and started cleaning away the blood. The water turned pink and more pale, freckled flesh was revealed. Though he was sore and covered in scratches and bites, Gavin felt thoroughly satisfied and he greatly desired to take care of the other.

 

The last speck of blood was wiped away and now his mate was pink with warmth. “There's my pretty love.”

 

“I don't know what happened,” Michael whispered, rubbing his eyes. “Did I hurt you?”

 

“No, love,” Gavin promised, seed still trickling down his thighs from how deeply his mate had bred him. “I...I wanted you to. Maybe I should not have enjoyed the sight of you...what you did to Ramsay...gods blood, Michael, you were terrifying.”

 

Michael picked his head up, nose scrunching up. “Did I scare you?”

 

“Only a little, love. I will not lie.” Gavin leaned in and kissed his cheek, then pecked another on his mouth. “But you protected me, and the queen, with everything you had. How else was I to respond to my mate showing his strength?”

 

Michael wasn't sure he had ever felt more boneless. He pawed at the other Omega's hands and pulled him into a hug. “Can we go to bed, Gav?”

 

Gavin smiled and hugged him back, nuzzling his fragrant curls. “Of course, Michael, whatever you want.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

“Don't think less of me. Or the king. Remember, we are more than this.”

 

The warning Dan gave him was unneeded. After the assassination attempt on the queen, Clegane was quickly taken from his home and dragged down into the empty dungeon beneath Haywood castle. The king had demanded he personally interrogated the traitor. He invited Dan to come with, but more surprisingly he'd turned to Michael and had asked him to watch with the promise of joining next time. The Omega had been afraid to have a weak stomach, to not be as worthy as the king thought him to be, but he found his spot against the wall quite enjoyable.

 

Ryan and Dan were a team forged by the gods themselves. They moved in tandem, finishing each other's threats, blades working together. Ryan lead, teaching Dan with every move he made and the Spartan absorbed every lesson with ease. The king had several devices, boated to be his own invention, and they were quite effective. Clegane was a mountain of an Alpha, broad and thick with muscle and towering over all of them, but he squealed like a pig when the king drove thick screws through his hands and feet.

 

“How far do you think I can fit this needle past your eye until you lose your vision?”

 

From that particular tactic they learned there were no others involved in the plot. It was a limited scheme. When Clegane finally passed out from pain, Ryan's “Mad King” persona fell away and he frowned thoughtfully down at the mutilated Alpha.

 

“My king?” Dan asked, his voice much too affectionate for how much blood he was covered in.

 

“If there truly is a rebellion against my wife, then we must cut it down,” Ryan declared. “Tell Geoff that I shall be taking prisoners until further notice. There will be many more interrogations in the future.”

 

Afterward, washed clean, Dan cornered Michael on the way back to his chambers. “Michael, are you alright?”

 

“More than,” Michael promised.

 

“Good,” the Alpha grinned. “Because the king has bestowed a great honor on you, if you should take it.”

 

o0o

 

Michael felt he was being tested. He had been presented with a bronze ax with a long, bone carved handle. He was dressed in his new armor and he felt...apart of something. The dais had been build wide over the steps to the castle and many had gathered to watch the procession. Ray stood off to the side, looking young and the picture of innocence with flowing white sleeves and his crown shining in the sunlight. Gavin was at his side dressed in white as well, a hidden hand resting on the queen's elbow in silent support. The king in finery, Dan clad in his ebony armor, Burns and Ramsey in their silver armor and dark capes. The citizens stared in wonder more at the noble group than they did at the massive, bound Alpha kneeling at their feet.

 

Joel had been the one to read off the reason they had gathered, the list of crimes, and the punishment. Ryan had repeated the crime of treason in his regal tone but with an underlying threat that sent shivers through all who heard it.

 

“For his bravery, and his ruthless execution of the assassin himself, I have given my queen's favored – Michael – the honor of taking out his partner.” Ryan gestured, gloved fingers looking graceful as they gestured at the prisoner.

 

Michael took a long, steadying breath before stepping up to Clegane. When they were in the castle Dan had whispered the appropriate words to him, petting his hair and pressed up behind him. The phantom touch carried him through the lines. “No prayers shall be said upon the heads of traitors. So by the grace of the gods and the word of the king, I shall remove it.”

 

Micheal swung with all his strength the blade buried deep in the man's neck. Clegane sputtered and shook but his bindings kept him upright and alive, but just barely. The rich scent of blood coaxed him into taking a second swing and it was smoother this time, the Alpha's head falling to the stand with a wet thump. A dark chuckle escaped him as he hefted the ax up on his shoulder.

 

“Death to the traitor!” someone in the crowd shouted. There was a roar of agreement and many calls rang out, some to the king or Michael himself but most in great adoration to the Rose Queen. Ray waved and smiled, laughing brightly when he caught a rose out of mid-air.

 

“Praise be to the Rose Queen! Great King Haywood!”

 

“Praise to his Omegas and the Hound!”

 

o0o0o0o

 

That night, Michael was summoned to the king's chambers. He left Ray and Gavin behind with kisses upon both their hands. He passed Ramsey and exchanged a smile with the knight, getting a pat on the back. “You did good today, Omega.”

 

“Jealous, old man?”

 

“Me? Never.”

 

Michael closed the door to the bedchamber and was greeted by the sight of the king and his Hound sitting by the fire in simple clothes, goblets of wine in their hands and laughing softly. There was a third glass on the table in front of the couch Dan had claimed. The Alphas gestured him over and he obeyed, taking up the goblet and taking a drink of the rich wine. The Spartan's hand rested on his back and it put him at ease.

 

Ryan sprawled on his couch, a mimic of the time he'd offered to mend the king's armor. “My Michael...I have an offer for you.”

 

“I believe I am being spoiled,” Michael chuckled, feeling light-hearted as the Spartan's nails scratched over his shoulder in a playful way. “And I cannot help but feel privileged to have so much privacy with the Alpha of the Realm.”

 

“Hush with your smart little mouth,” Ryan scolded with a smile. “There is something important I would ask of you. You have the right to refuse, of course, which is why I ask as a friend – to you and the Wolf King.”

 

Dan's title made the Omega give pause.

 

“As of the moment, Daniel is Ray's personal guard,” Ryan began, swirling his wine, “But I have been toying with the idea of creating a Queensguard. My Omega is more precious to me than anything else in this world. The kingdom, my crown – he comes above all else. You have shown great potential. You would go through rigorous training and I would expect you to excel.”

 

“Me?” Michael awed. “You would trust me to protect the queen? Why?”

 

Ryan set down his goblet and leaned forward, hands lacing as if in prayer. “Daniel told me of where you came from, how he found you.”

 

“Bastard!” Micheal growled out, pulling away from the Spartan. But a firm hand on his thigh kept him from darting off. His cheeks darkened in anger and humiliation.

 

“Look at me, Michael.”

 

“I...I can't...” he whined, “I never wanted you to know. Gavin and Daniel are the only ones and that's hard enough. Please don't tell the queen. I couldn't bear it.”

 

“Your past stays in this room with me. I would never breathe a word of it,” Ryan swore. “Though it does not matter to me. It had made you strong, Michael. You have seen the darker side of what this world has to offer but you have not looked away. You embraced it. You see...what we see.”

 

Michael finally dragged his gaze up to peer at both the Alphas. They both had solemn, heavy-eyed expressions. He slumped into the couch.

 

“We have both seen our brothers and fathers killed by the greed and stupidity of men. We have suffered the same pain.” Ryan's gaze lingered on Dan and the young Alpha smiled at him with great love in his eyes. “Betrayal. Mutiny. Cowardly acts that make brave men angry. You have been under the thumb of those cowards your whole life, Michael. Men who could not see you as an equal. They could no doubt sense the rage and shadows within you and you _frightened_ them. They could do little else but try to reduce you to some sort of whore. But I will not have it, not in my court.”

 

Michael gaped, heart both breaking and mending itself within his chest. The words touched him deeper than he thought they could go, ripping up all those old insecurities and silencing the whispers that told him he was only good for one thing.

 

“Allow me to put you on a new path. A better path.” Ryan reached out, offering his hand. “No longer a smithy or a bedwarmer – but a true warrior.”

 

Michael hesitated but then he gladly took the king's hand, leaning over the table and kissing the back of it. “My king...I am yours.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

Dan took Michael out into the field a few days later. Burns greeted them with a small crease in his brow. “Boys.”

 

“Lord Commander,” Dan greeted, putting a hand on Michael's shoulder. “By order of the king – your newest protegee. He is to be trained to be a member of the newly formed Queensguard.”

 

Burns whistled sharply and gestured towards the stands. Joel came toward them, cloak billowing around his legs. He had a black scabbard in his hands and he presented it to the Lord Commander as he came up to him.

 

“This must be yours, then,” Burns took the sword and examined the well made handle. “It arrived this morning with a note from the king. _For when the cub becomes a bear._ It is for you when you finish your training, young Michael. Take a look at your prize.”

 

Michael stepped forward and grinned when he saw the blade itself. He wasn't sure when the king had it commissioned to be made but it looked spectacular. It shined blue in the sunlight, steel edged with diamond. It was beautiful and deadly. He could not wait for the day he could wield it.

 

“The greatest prize will be when I have the skills to protect our queen.”

 

“Spoken like a true man of the crown,” Burns laughed, snapping the sword closed and handing it to Joel once more. “Welcome, Michael. Your real training begins today.”

 

 

 

 

 


	14. By the King's Generosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael and Gavin find some real satisfaction.

**Want to read them in the[chronological order](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/95604916006/and-life-is-wine-chronological-masterpost-wip)?**

 

* * *

 

The candles in the room flickered and their faint musky wax was buried under the heat scent of the two beautiful Omegas writhing with him upon the bed. Geoff was spread out on his back, sweating and cursing under his breath as every muscle in his body seemed to be on fire. His lungs were clogged up with the transformed smells of the Omega mates. The scent of humid, thick storm clouds and aged wine stained his pallete and every breath he took was saturated with it. The two had overpowered his own clean, metallic scent by leaps and bounds. He wasn't sure how long they'd been in his chambers or how many times he'd come. The mates had taken him by the hands and the heart and the very core of his soul, drowning him in their soft kisses and sweet slick. He'd taken charge at first like a good Alpha and satisfied them as much as he could but had wound down on the cusp of the second day.

 

Gavin had draped him in furs and rubbed his shoulders, cooing at him to rest and encouraging him to eat. But the boy's heat was still in full swing and his eyes had been dark, hole leaking tempting slick with every motion. Michael had brought out a flask and put it to Geoff's lips. The Alpha-like Omega had drugged him with one of the queen's potions, he was sure of it now, and it seemed like his cock hadn't softened since. The boy had grown more fierce, more controlling, and soon Geoff was reduced to this.

 

Laying on his back looking at Michael's pale, freckled back with his knot buried deep in his plush ass. Geoff gaped and thumbed at the boy's rim, whispering his name, but he was being ignored.

 

“You got yours, Alpha,” Michael snarked, throwing a heated look over his shoulder and rocking hard down on the man's lap so his knot shifted around. A second load of seed flooded Michael's ass and the boy grunted, taking it with a fresh blush staining his cheeks. “Be quiet back there. I'm busy.”

 

Geoff opened his mouth to complain, to tell him to quit being a cheeky shit, but when the boy clamped down on him he lost his voice.

 

“Good boy,” Michael laughed lowly, turning his attention back to the Omega kneeling low on his hands and knees in front of him, tucked between the splay of Geoff's legs. “Good _boys_.”

 

“Michael,” Gavin cooed, shaking all over as his hole fluttered prettily around the glass cock buried deep inside him. The fake, clear knot rested against his hole and right after was a nice base that would keep the object from disappearing inside his needy, fevered body. He was silently cursing Michael's luck. The older Omega was mindless and needy during the first day of his heat and slowly tapered off. Gavin's had always hit him as a slow burn, the longer it went on the more wanton he got. Their cycles had synced well and the patterns matched perfectly.

 

“It feels good, doesn't it?” Michael asked in a honey sweet tone, rolling the fake knot against his mate's hole. He squeezed around the thick Alpha cock inside him with a satisfied sigh before he grabbed a fistful of hair with his other hand, pulling until his mate obeyed and backed up until his ass was almost touching the paler Omega's stomach. “That's it, dove. Get close. I want to see how well you quiver when I knot you.”

 

“Please Michael, Alpha...” Gavin whimpered openly, spreading his legs a little more and arching his back so he could feel the glass's molded head drag along the sensitive inside of his hole. He was gushing now, dripping steadily on the bed, and he was gagging for more. Michael had been fucking him with the toy as long as Geoff had been rutting into him, giving them both the satisfaction they had been craving since their heats started up. Michael was so lovely and cruel to him, never letting him off, not even after the older Omega had spilled all over himself on Geoff's knot.

 

The term _Alpha_ set Michael's blood on fire and made his limp cock twitch between his thighs. He could hear Geoff sighing and muttering to himself but Michael's world was narrowed down to the exotic little Omega bare and exposed in front of him. Gavin was an open book to his mate, willingly spread and offered right from the start. He started to rock the toy into the boy's hole, urging it to open as it would for a real Alpha.

 

Michael couldn't wait for the day his boy was ready to take a flesh-and-blood knot for the first time. He would be right there to guide him and make sure everything went smoothly. He would have his mate get nothing from pleasure from their chosen Alpha.

 

“Touch yourself,” Michael order as he settled the glass cock all the way within his boy, knot fitting snugly behind his clinging rim. “ _Slowly_.”

 

Gavin obeyed with a happy chirp, shifting his weigh and bracing himself on the curl of one arm while the other circled around his long cock. He stroked, slow as commanded, and let his thumb play with sheath that was stretched tight over the flushed head. He was so _full_.

 

“After you fuck yourself raw on this toy, I want to see you thank our sovereign for his generosity.”

 

Gavin shivered nodded quickly, ready to agree to anything.

 

“No, sweetling, you're not _listening_ ,” Michael rumbled, laying his palm on the toy and pushing hard until the Omega keened. “Can you hear my words now?”

 

Gavin humped between the toy and the tight grip of his hand. “Y-Yes, Michael. Always.”

 

Michael wet his lips hungrily and slowly circled his hips as he pressed harder on the cool handle so his mate could feel every inch. “I want to take you to the king's chamber and make you kneel at his feet, my hand so heavy on your shoulder and our sovereign's gaze pinning you in place. You would kiss his ring and thank him for giving you a smooth Alpha cock to fill your hungry hole.”

 

Gavin muffled his cry of shocked pleasure against the bed. “Michael!”

 

“He's so kind to give you a nice piece of glass to practice on,” Michael chuckled, pulling at the fake cock just to hear the boy whine. “My needy little mate.”

 

There was a harsh pant behind him as a third load of seed filled his ass. “S-Stop teasing the poor boy. Give him some relief.”

 

“Shut up, Alpha.”

 


	15. The Misplacement of the Mad Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael yearns for more. Specifically, a certain Painted Knight. But he has fears. Can Ryan quell them?

Michael's arms were crossed tight over his chest but they were hidden under the dark cloak, the same one his king had given him for their hunting trip. The grey fog of the morning had only settled thicker as the day went on and the sun was hidden behind the clouds, mist curling along the ground and up the walls. The Omega's breath came in little clouds as the chill of the gloomy day wrapped around him. He stood atop one of the lower watch towers and there was a clear view of the training yard from his position.

 

Burns was usually in charge of the yard, taking his title of Lord Commander of the Kingsguard as seriously and regally as one could, but today he was on the sidelines while Ramsey took charge. Apparently the other knights weren't up to par and he was infuriated by their fumbling, the man sober and stern-voiced as he put them through their paces. He'd never seen the man's Alpha side and it was more stimulating than he would have ever thought.

 

Geoff Ramsey, the bastard and the charmer. The Painted Knight with his strange ink markings that decorated his hands and all the way up his arms. Michael suspected they went further, across his strong chest and along his hips, but that was only in his imagination. He'd hated him at first but as he continued his Queensguard training he had been treated as an equal by the man. More so, Geoff always seemed so proud of him, encouraging and correcting him with gentle, calloused hands. The Alpha had so many scars that Micahel wanted to ask about, so many stories that only came out when he was drinking. He'd been told that he and Ramsey made quite a sight taking each other on in the yard. Now comrades, they had become friends in a way. They both had sharp tongues and quick wit so they battled in more ways than one. But there was respect between them now.

 

Except Michael was apparently feeling more than a warrior bond. He was ashamed of himself but the other night he had coaxed Gavin between his thighs and he'd nearly moaned Geoff's name while his mate's tongue brought him to a shuddering end.

 

Michael raked a hand through his shorn curls. They had grown too wild and Dan had helped him trim up this morning. He was still getting used to the feeling of it. His Spartan king had declared him handsome and much more intimidating without his cherub curls. His heart started to flutter uncontrollably as Geoff's undeniably Alpha roar echoed off the walls. The knight flipped one of the younger lads right over his back and slammed him on the ground so hard the boy cried out in pain.

 

“Stay down!”

 

Michael cooed under his breath, heat seeping through his thighs. He had never truly looked at an Alpha as a mate before this. Dan had been their king, their caretaker, their surrogate-Alpha. But Geoff was a true man with years of experience and a rather sweet demeanor when he allowed himself to let loose.

 

They often got drunk off wine together with fresh bruises on their faces and the man's laugh was infectious. Geoff admitted to going through a few mates but he'd been abandoned by them all. That might have been the moment Michael had let himself fall. That moment was still embarrassingly clear to him. He'd reached out and put a hand on the Alpha's knee, assuring him that no one had ever stuck around after a night in bed with him and that it was nothing to be ashamed of.

 

_It's not you, Ramsey. I swear to you that. They're the ones with something ugly inside of them. Not you...not us._

 

Geoff's tender expression had lodged deep in his heart and now he could not shake it loose.

 

The solid weight of a body pressed up behind him, rich clothes scraping against his rough cloak. Covered hands settled on his shoulders. He would know those supple gloves anywhere. A casual, gravel purr filled his ears and he shuddered under the touch. “My Michael, look at you enjoying my knight's power play. You're getting wet just watching him.” Lips brushed his ear, the king so close he could feel the heat of his body.. “I can smell it.”

 

Michael clenched up and tried to contain the slickness there but it was no use. The king must have felt the tense of his muscles and the action pulled a sultry chuckle out of him. “Sweet boy. There's no need to be embarrassed. You two are lovely together.”

 

“Don't be ridiculous,” Michael snapped petulantly, huffing and turning his head away. He could feel his face burning and he cursed his fair complexion. “The implication is far-fetched. Geoff is a fellow warrior and a friend, that is all.”

 

A single finger flipped under his chin and turned his head back toward the yard. Geoff was besting one of the bigger trainees and it was with such _ease_. “And as an Alpha?”

 

Michael exhaled shakily, cock stirring in his breeches at the show of strength. “I wouldn't mind trying.”

 

The king's hand dropped back down to his shoulder, squeezing. “Of course my little prince would speak of Alphas like they were nothing but wines to be sampled.”

 

Michael quickly looked around, a thrill shooting through his system. “Please do not say things like that, sire. People would get the wrong impression.”

 

Ryan frowned deeply. “Anyone who spends time with you can see your treatment of Alphas.”

 

“No, my king, the name, the false title,...” Michael chewed on the side of his lip. “Do not. I beg you.”

 

Leather fingers laid along his throat, not threatening but as a comfort. Michael leaned into the weight with a sigh of relief. The affectionate nickname that his king had bestowed upon him was an honor and it inspired pride, but there were those who warped it. Ryan had become open with his favor as Michael gained true skill and the gossip from the kingdoms came back to the castle in spiteful whispers.

 

_Mad Prince._

 

Michael was relieved they thought him some dark pet than a whore.

 

“Tell me what bothers you.”

 

Michael slipped on his hard-earned, tough persona and gently brushed the hand away, taking a few steps to the right so he could get some fresh air and still see the yard. He would need to be free of the king's scent if he were to lie. “Ramsey is a rude brute. He oversteps his boundaries with everyone – including you, my king. He drinks like a trout and smells of wineskin more than his actual scent. The gods only know what it actually is. That foul mouth – he believes he can say whatever he pleases and no one will challenge him.”

 

Ryan listened with a raised brow, unamused by the display. The reasons the Omega was spewing off were not unlike those of his courtiers. They always seemed to be complaining about his little bear, his adopted prince, and the sharpness of his tongue.

 

“He speaks his mind too often, in my opinion.”

 

Ryan tisked lightly. “Like someone else we know...?”

 

Michael puffed out his cheeks in an annoyed breath but he knew the similarities and how others in court saw him. He himself could be difficult, more difficult than Ramsey by far. He was a mouthy Omega and he tended to get under everyone's skin but his future titles, his growing skill, all spoke for themselves. He belonged in court. Ryan had made sure he knew that. He'd given him a purpose, the best sword in the Realm, and all the faith he had in himself.

 

“Gavin and I do everything together. It's been like that since day one,” Michael explained, fidgeting. “I wouldn't let a clumsy old drunken fool like Ramsey near my mate.”

 

Ryan hummed under his breath, glancing at the yard. “You think so poorly of our Painted Knight?”

 

“My king.” Michael felt torn and he struggled for words. “It doesn't matter what I want. Gavin...he deserves the best of everything.” His heart hurt just thinking about it let alone saying it. His mate truly did deserve the world but he couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. More fake-Alpha attitude, more lies, and his king could tell.

 

Ryan grabbed the Omega by the shoulder and spun him around, pressing him against the stone edging. He took off his right glove and laid his bare hand at the base of Michael's throat under the clasp of his cape. The touch made the boy sigh and grow lax once more but this time he didn't fight it. “Now that you've huffed and puffed, little bear, why don't you tell me what's truly eating away at you? You've been distant and quiet lately. If you cannot trust me with your thoughts, nor your loving mate, who can you tell?”

 

“What if he chooses?”

 

Ryan was startled at the low, defeated tone. “Michael?”

 

“Gavin's never had an Alpha,” Michael began slowly, eyes on the ground. “I'm as close as he's ever been with. Not even our king...not even Daniel has taken claim on him. I've provided for him like an Alpha should. I've protected him and seen him through his heat. If I bring Ramsey into our lives, into our bed, he won't need me as an Alpha anymore. The only role I've ever known in our relationship would be gone. I...” Michael choked up, a tight fist in his chest that made it hard to breathe. “I would lose my place.”

 

Ryan hushed him and drew him into a hug. The Omega went willingly and buried his face in the man's collar, tears seeping past his lashes. Strong, bare fingers carded through his hair and he chittered quietly, seeking assurance from the Alpha king. “My Michael, you must not forget what you are. I did not give you all the tools I have to make you an Alpha. I did it to empower you as an Omega.”

 

Michael's stomach churned sourly. “I do not bow in bed. Never again.”

 

Ryan chuckled warmly and rubbed his cheek against his hair in a light scenting. “Now, little bear, who said you had to bow to an Alpha? In my opinion, Omegas hold all the power between the sheets. You are Gavin's mate, you are everything he needs, and there is no one in the world who could replace you at his side.”

 

Michael's head was tilted up and a kiss was pecked on his cheek. “You should only consider that there is room in your hearts and your bed for one more. Not to take anything away, but to add.”

 

His brows furrowed as he considered this.

 

“To think,” Ryan continued with false innocence, “You could be the one to control every moment of Gavin's first time with an Alpha. It will be a once in a lifetime experience. You are quite lucky to be in a position like this. I would pay a pretty coin to see such a sight.”

 

“Ryan,” Michael breathed, eyes wide and stunned at the thought of easing Geoff's knot into his mate's wet, willing body in front of their king.

 

“Keep watch,” Ryan ordered, patting his cheek before stepping away. “Report to me if you find out anything... _interesting_.”

 

o0o

 

Later that night, Ryan lounged by the fire and poured himself a glass of wine. He dragged some furs around his sweaty, bare body and relaxed to the sounds of his queen's soft sighs as he fell asleep. Ray had come twice from just his fingers and tongue. Ryan had taken the boy's eager mouth though it was difficult for his mate to do with his girth. But they had enjoyed themselves and now his queen rested peacefully. It was a glorious night, all in all.

 

There was a slight commotion outside the door before it was thrown open. Michael strut in with a very unamused Burns behind him. The Lord Commander kept his eyes lowered but the Omega came in with confidence, smirking when he saw the queen's half-covered form. “Sire, forgive me, the boy was insistent.”

 

Ryan waved a hand dismissively. “I'll allow it. Leave us.”

 

Burns nodded before shutting the door. Michael snickered before stalking over to the king with a wide smirk, cheeks ruddy from too much drink. Ryan leaned back and made sure his lap was covered as he predicted the boy's movements. Michael was true to form and plopped down on top of him, hands clumsily grabbing the king's face before he pressed a kiss to his lips.

 

“Gods,” Michael moaned into his mouth, “You taste like the queen. How sweet he is. I could spend all night between his thighs.”

 

Ryan laughed darkly before snatching a handful of russet curls, yanking the boy's head back. “So could I, boy. What have you come here for?”

 

“I want him.”

 

Ryan's lips pursed.

 

“Ramsey,” Michael clarified, shaking the king's slackened fingers from his hair and rubbing their noses with a playful giggle. “I want him, my king.” Their cheeks rubbed and Ryan smirked as the red fruit scent flooded his lungs, the Omega working himself up. “I want to feel his knot and lick the wine from his lips.” Michael sighed close to his ear. “I want to watch him breed a litter into my mate.” His eyes slid closed, sharp Omega canines closing over his plump lip. “Gods help me, but I want him to do the same to me.”

 

“Alright, alright,” Ryan soothed, petting down the boy's back as he smirked into the room where no one could see. “Would you like my help?”

 

He nodded vigorously. “Please, my king.”

 

“Whatever my princeling wants.”

 

 


	16. Kings and Processions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray explains how kings come to be to his Hound and the talk of heirs gets them both riled up.

**You know how in Minecraft the boys play to be king? Same principle for The Trials, but bloodier.**

* * *

 

The sun had barely moved from the peak of the afternoon and the garden was warm, breeze cutting through the petals and leaves. A few of the palace cats were snoozing lazily under bushes or in flower patches. Two guards were set at the usually unarmed gate. Inside, a young Omega turned Queen was dressed in plainclothes and digging carefully around the roots of the bean plants. He was so wrapped up in his task that he didn't notice the approaching Alpha.

 

“My queen.”

 

Ray looked up, shielding his eyes from the sun. He smiled brightly when he saw his Hound dressed in his flexible hunting gear sans cloak. “Daniel. What are you doing out here? The king spoke of a hunt this morning and I assumed you two would be gone all day long.”

 

“He wants to go later in the evening. As the Lord Commander of your Queensguard, for all I act like it, I thought I would keep you company.”

 

Ray rolled his eyes. “Come now, Dan. You spend all your time with the two of us. You're in court with us, you take your meals with us. You are as much the king's as you are mine. I have plenty of guards to protect my life. A few hours out in the woods with our king won't hurt me.”

 

“You're too kind.” Dan looked around curiously. “Who protects you now besides the guards at the gate?”

 

Ray gestured upward. “Gavin watches over me.”

 

It took Dan a moment to figure out exactly what the boy was talking about. In the high balcony that Ryan often lamented about watching Ray in their early courtship stood Gavin, leaning over the railing and waving at the Spartan. Dan waved back and grinned when he saw Geoff beside the Omega. “It seems the Painted Knight watches over you both. That puts me at ease.”

 

“You are welcome to join me,” Ray offered.

 

“I believe I shall.” Dan took off his gloves and tucked them into his back pocket, dropping to his knees next to the queen. “What are we doing?”

 

“I've discovered that garlic and long beans cannot grow side by side,” Ray began, using his fingers to ease the dirt from between the grasping roots of the beans. “We need to replant them but the roots are thin and delicate. I'm afraid they may not last the journey to their new home but I have to try.”

 

Dan nodded, eyeing the bean plant in front of him. He hesitantly began to dig with just his fingers and the queen hummed in approval. “I heard my mother killed every plant she touched. Hopefully your green thumb can save them all from my inherited poison.”

 

“Hush,” Ray scolded with a smile, “I'm sure you'll do fine. You have a very gentle touch.”

 

Heat came to Dan's cheeks as he thought of massaging the queen's back with glistening oil as he had done the week before. “I am not one to argue with the Queen. Forgive me if I harm something. All the sklls I have are from helping you and nothing more.”

 

Ray extracted one of the smaller plants and put it in a clay pot. “Do not take offense, my Daniel, but I sometimes forget you're a prince who trained for combat and politics and who's hands only grew dirty with blood.”

 

“No offense for the truth,” Dan assured him. “I have lived a very privledged life and have enjoyed many of its riches. Five generations of our blood has sat upon the Spartan throne. We are the longest family to reign and we have done well though we have been widdled down to me, an heirless Alpha.”

 

“Five generations?” Ray marveled. “How do you come upon kings in Sparta? I don't believe I've come across it in my readings.”

 

Daniel frowned thoughtfully. “Though usually through war and unsurption, the common way is from inheritance. By winning, we have proven our blood divine and chosen by the gods, so all heirs are considered royal.”

 

“Forever?”

 

He nodded, unearthing one of the bean plants as carefully as he could before setting it in the pot.

 

“Strange, yet similar.”

 

“How so, my queen?”

 

“There is an ancient tradition called The Trials that takes place every twenty five years,” Ray began, fingers deep in the rich soil. “A represenative from every noble House in the Seven Kingdoms must participate. They are paraded into an arena together with as many spectators as can pay to fill the seats. They call it _prestigious_ but it's a bloodbath and quite barbaric. The divinity of their blood is tested through brute strength and skill. The one who emerges victorious is king.”

 

Dan gaped. “Truly?”

 

The queen nodded.

 

“And our king?”

 

Ray lowered his voice as he continued to uproot. “Ryan's father came from this city. Our official title is the Kingdom of the Rock for our landscape. He conquered five years before Ryan was born. So when the time for The Trials came again he represented the current crown most gladly, ready to prove his prowess. He was the youngest of his brothers and eager to cut his teeth. They say it was the most ruthless display ever. There are sketches and paintings and songs of how he emerged soaked in the blood of noble sons.”

 

Dan felt a surge of heat between his legs at the image. Ryan's youthful face slicked in blood and tilted up toward the sun, blades falling from his hands as he basked in the roar of the crowd as he stole the crown back for his House. “He slayed them?”

 

“Not all of them,” Ray continued, affection in his hear for his husband. “Being noble, they often train together in their youth. The Trials are disgusting in the way they have you kill your friends. But two not unlike himself were spared from his blade. A soft hearted lad from the Mountain and the Vale, and a man with strange markings from the Stormlands who was all but forced into the ring on his father's command.”

 

“Ramsey?”

 

“And Jack, the head of our kitchens,” Ray confirmed. “Ryan openly spared them and took them into his House, officially.”

 

“What about his father, King Haywood?” Daniel question, slowing at his task as he took in the new information. “Did he allow his son to bring them into his court? Did the law permit the action?”

 

“Ryan is quite the trail blazer, from what I hear,” the queen sighed rather sadly. “But it did not matter. Less than a year later there was an army that invaded our shores from the Flatlands. That barren stretch of baked earth that I'm sure you're familiar with.”

 

“Full of savages and cut-throats,” Dan confirmed, remembering the pains he'd taken not to travel through the fat of them to get to the docks. “Sparta is lucky to be tucked far behind them.”

 

“We were not so lucky.” Ray sat on his knees and gazed into the dirt with far away thoughts swirling through his head. “I lost my mother that year and was too young to understand the strain on the land. The war was a distraction. A small group of rebel traitors had convinced some lesser lords to try and usurp the Haywood throne. If the family who won The Trials were to be killed then there would be another fight. Apparently these rebels thought anyone could be better than Ryan's father so they worked with leaders from the Flatlands, giving them descriptions of the Haywood brothers and their fighting skills.” The queen's heart panged in sympathy for his husband. “One by one, Ryan lost every one of his brothers. Some on the field, some to fever. The Kingsguard at the time did their best and they eventually unearthed the traitors but not before the king's cup was poisoned.”

 

He looked over at Dan. “Ryan held him as he died. From what he told me, they were not close, but it was still his father and his king. The war ended a week after Ryan took the crown. He had ordered quite the slaughter and it worked.”

 

“By the gods,” Dan breathed, shoulders slumped as he thought of his own father and siblings, “I had no idea.”

 

“Burnie was an old trusted friend and Geoff had the skills, thus a new Kingsguard was born,” Ray finished. “Procession is tricky in the Realm. I have great fear of it. Daniel, can I...confess something to you? Something I feel I cannot burden the king with?”

  
“Anything, Ray, you know that,” Dan implored with a low tone, shifting closer.

 

“It will be almost another fifteen years until the next Trials, but I'm terrified for the day it comes. Ryan will not be fit to fight again and we'll have to rely on a representative to conserve our crown. If we lose, then we will lose our protection and be only nobles once more. We would have to move into the city or an outskirt castle, without a Kingsguard I...I do not know how long it would take for someone to hunt us down. Even if we win there is always a surge of rebellion after every Trials and we would be in more danger than ever before. I love the people, I do, but I'm so scared.” Ray's voice trembled and he laid a hand over his stomach. “Any child we have will grow up with a knife to their throat. I want to catch with Ryan's heir but if I do I don't know how I'll ever let go. The moment they're out of my arms I know they'll be taken from me forever.”

 

“My queen.”

 

The Alpha's soft croon made him shiver and a big hand settled on the back of his neck. It was so much like Ryan and it melted the nerves right out of his skin. Another palm laid on his stomach, blanketing his own, pressing down so he could feel it.

 

“Daniel?”

 

“I shall protect any royal child you bear with my life,” Dan swore fiercely, thumb stroking firmly over the boy's belly and imagining it swollen with child. “As long as I draw breath, so will they.”

 

Ray tried not to whine in despair. “But you won't always be here. When the year is up you'll be free to return to Sparta. You will have a civil war on your hands. We will give you our power, our backing, but I won't ever see you again.”

 

“I stand by what I said, Ray.” Dan pressed himself up close to the queen's side, slowly sliding his hand up under the boy's tunic to touch smooth skin. Ray's breath hitched as lips brushed his ear and hot breath tickled him. “I will protect any children you have with everything I am.”

 

“Oh Daniel,” Ray sighed lightly, eyes falling closed as he tilted his head for the Alpha's searching lips. Sharp canines rested on the swell of the sensitive gland just under his jaw. He didn't bite down, he wouldn't dare, but the pressure made the boy's heart flutter.

 

“ _Any_ children,” Daniel rasped against his throat.

 

Ray purred and scratched his fingers hard through dark hair, the Alpha whining submissively at the pain. He wished that Ryan would let their Hound wear his collar all the time because he would love to pull it right now, tighten it around his pale throat until he gasped. “Do you plan on putting a little Spartan prince in my belly?”

 

A slick tongue darted over the gland, laving hungrily. “My queen...”

 

“Are you thinking about it right now?” Ray pressed him closer by his grip in the tresses, the grounding hand on his neck sliding down to rest along his spine. “Imagining me hanging off your knot, pup? I would lay among the silks of my bed and be fat and full of a royal heir.” The forbidden image made his mouth water and he pulled Daniel even closer, inhaling his hot sand scent. “Though of the Realm or Sparta I would not know.”

 

“What are you two whispering about?”

 

Both dark haired boys looked up with wide eyes and flushed cheeks to see their king walking up to them, an amused expression on his face. Taking in the sight of him he chuckled and towered over them. “Look at you two. What a problem you have there, pup.”

 

Dan retracted his hands from the queen's bare stomach and back, covering the bulge in his pants.

 

“And what a chore you've tasked me with, my queen,” Ryan huffed playfully, grabbing Dan by the scruff and dragging him to his feet. His gaze burned over the Spartan and he laughed, a dark and filthy sound. “I'll have to milk our pup before we go out to hunt. I can't have you in the woods with such a _condition_.”

 

Ryan ran the back of his knuckles over the curve of the Spartan's covered cock. Dan whined under his breath and tried not to push into it.

 

“My, my,” his eyes flicked down to his blushing queen, still so innocently on his knees, “What were you two plotting to get our Hound so sensitive?”

 

“Nothing I would discuss out loud,” Ray replied honestly.

 

“Then we'll _discuss_ it later.” He thumbed the hardness again and the Spartan sighed, hips rocking. “In bed.”

 

* * *

 

**Welcome PastelPrinceling to the universe! They are writing "Heart of the Beast" and I've decided it's canon. So if you want to know more about Michael, go check it out~**

[ **New Update Schedule** ](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/98123930496/most-frequently-asked-question-updates-and-for)

 

 


	17. "Lord" Ryan - Part V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan's heart is yearning and swollen with affection. And Ray's kiss is the only cure. Geoff and Burnie don't think it is.

**Here's the[chronological order](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/95604916006/and-life-is-wine-chronological-masterpost-wip) of this fic**

* * *

 

Ryan had to learn to control himself very quickly. Ray was a true embodiment of sunshine now that he'd presented and he had to buckle down those Alpha instincts less he scare him away. He didn't want the boy to be self-conscious about his new status. Ray deserved all the happiness life could give him and he didn't need a lying Alpha breathing down his neck in hungry desire.

 

But Ryan couldn't stop dreaming about the sweet Omega. He was plagued by images of Ray spread out on his bed, silk sheets pooling around his small body as he writhed in pure bliss. The boy moaning for him, parting his thighs and giving himself over to the king oh-so-willingly. Ryan hungered to taste the Omega's slick, to stroke his smooth cock and touch his soft skin until the other forgot his own name. To reduce the boy to breathless _my king_ 's was his greatest fantasy. Beneath the peasant clothing was everything he wanted – plump thighs, a slim body that fit well against his own, and hard little nipples that he saw peaking through his shirt when the chill set in.

 

Ryan woke up every morning frustrated and hard but his heart was as hungry as his libido. He wanted to see Ray all the time, to bask in his presence and stand by his side. He wanted to bury himself between his cheeks just as much as he wanted to listen to him talk about the state of the Narvaez farm. Ray had layers and it was a refreshing change from the one-dimensional courtiers that surrounded him on a daily basis. The boy was charming and tough with a lush center and rough edges. There was a humor there but a beautiful humbleness within him that grounded Ryan. Presenting as an Omega had not taken an ounce of his fiery spirit and the kindness he'd showed to living things was stronger than ever.

 

Ray was a constant reminder that he was king and that he could make a change if only he knew the real problems to face. The boy brought so many things to his attention and Ryan took every complaint seriously and brought them up to his small council. Though Geoff, Burns, Matt, and Gus were surprised they seemed pleased to hear his new perspective.

 

Burnie was the only one who had a problem with it but he kept his mouth shut. He would not be the one to ruin the king's fun no matter how despicable he found it.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ray could barely be around Ryan for the first two weeks after his change. He was the first Alpha Ray had scented after he'd left home and it was (in a word) _overwhelming._ He'd barely been able to stay on his feet when he had gotten his first sniff of the man in the garden and he'd been tempted to ask the lord if he could take a rest in the crook of his neck. Somehow he'd managed to keep himself together and they'd parted with his dignity intact.

 

Ryan's scent had been mild before, a suggestion of warm bread, but now it bashed into his senses stronger than any wind he'd ever felt. It was wood and coal, a smithy mixed with the comforting swirls of steam that came off a good feast. There was more to it than that as well. With Ray's nose far more sensitive than it was he could pick up the race of a pulse or the spike in a hear beat – and with these new skills he felt as if he could pick up the man's intentions much easier than he before. Ryan _responded_ to his touch and Ray's body reacted in return. He had a new batch of flutters that overtook him whenever Ryan was close and it felt like his body was calling to the Alpha in some base way.

 

It as both thrilling and terrifying being afflicted by the lord's intoxicating smell.

 

Ray steeled his resolve and allowed their friendship to return to what it once was. He refused to swoon when the Alpha touched him no matter how badly he wanted to. Being of different statuses didn't mean he had to fall over himself whenever the man praised him or smiled his way. Ryan seemed to adapt well and he became very protective, even taking the time to explain dynamics more elaborately than his own father had. How Omegas were very treasured in the Realm under King Haywood's rule and all Omegan slavery was outlawed, punishable by death. Just Ryan doing minor tasks with him in the garden was enough to assure the young boy that nothing had changed for the worse.

 

Though Ray had only ever seen scenting done and experienced the puppyish rubbings of his friends, he felt a burning need to do so with the Alpha lord who was showing him such interest and attention. The man was handsome, a fine specimen, and he surely would know how to do it correctly. Ray worked up the courage after a long week of fumbling and to his surprise Ryan agreed almost right away. He'd promised on the first sunny day they would go out together into the garden and find a private spot to practice.

 

Ray was excited for it but there was a part of him that was scared of what his reaction would be.

 

o0o

 

As the end of the week came upon them, Ryan snuck up on the newly presented Omega in the garden and took his hand. The sun was past it's highest point and heavy shadows had descended upon the kingdom though the day was still strong. There was a cool breeze ruffling the leaves and trying to stir the fruit upon the vines. The Alpha grinned at him and led him towards the back of the garden with the thick hedges where they'd hidden from the courtiers. There was very little traffic in the garden today and Ray's work load was light so his protests were minimum.

 

Ryan was a true gentleman and parted the hedges with a firm arm. “You first.”

 

Ray ducked between the leafy walls. The space between the stone wall and the hedges was cool and shaded. The grass was lush and the scent of honeysuckle was strong in this private pocket of the world. It instantly became his favorite place.

 

“Come,” Ryan urged, heading for the softest patch of grass and sitting down upon it. The blades were perfect under his hands and he was glad he'd remembered this spot. He crooked his finger at Ray and the boy shot him the shyest smile he'd ever seen. It warmed his heart and he couldn't help but smile back as he watched him walk closer. “I'll teach you how to scent. I have so rarely done it for pleasure.”

 

Ray took the offered hand and tried not to look too surprised when the Alpha led him into his lap. “You've done it with Omegas before?”

 

“There's formal scenting, and I have had a few Omegan lovers who desired such intimacy after their finish.” Ryan grinned at the boy's pretty flush. “Forgive me. That is no kind of talk for sweet Omegas such as yourself.”

 

“I-It's fine,” Ray assured him with a small tremor. He carefully sat upon the lord's lap and smothered a pleased coo. Ryan's thighs were thick beneath and between his own, the covered skin radiating heat. The clothes the Alpha wore billowed musk as he settled and his lashes fluttered for only a moment. Ryan was so close now and his scent was already overpowering him. The smell...it was toasty and it filled up his chest to heat him all the way through. It was like sitting in front of his familial hearth and slowly eating his father's fresh baked bread, lazing about on a fur rug and basking in the face of the flames.

 

He could hear Ryan explaining to him where scent points were on the body and when they would be used – wrists for formal scentings, the hair for friends, the neck for those you held intimacies with, and even the scandalous inner thighs for lovers. But the words felt like smoke across his skin, skimming across his ears but not strong enough to sink in. The Omega's body grew heavy and his lids lowered, dark eyes growing darker as he took great breaths of the older man's scent.

 

Ryan was in the middle of explaining how formal scenting went when the boy slumped against him and weakly wrapped his arms around his shoulders. The king gasped softly as Ray's sweet Omega sounds poured into his ear before lips touched on the thin flesh beneath it.

 

“Ryan,” Ray crooned pleadingly, pressing tight against the Alpha as he panted wetly against his throat. “I...I...” He took another breath before nuzzling into blonde tresses. “Y-You smell so good, my lord. Forgive me.”

 

Ryan shook off his shock and dared to lay a hand in the Omega's hair. It was thick beneath his fingers, caressing them like delicate wings. “No, my boy. You're fine. Scenting with an Alpha for the first time is an honor I am blessed to share with you. If you are a little overwhelmed it is only natural.”

 

Ray was pawing at his billowy shirt over the wings of his shoulders, his shapely little mouth brushing all along his neck in a blind search for a scent gland. Ryan tried to resist, truly he did, but the boy smelled better than any pastry or dollop of honey he'd ever experienced and he couldn't help but think this may be the last time he was allowed such a privilege.

 

The shackles he'd wrapped around his Alpha instincts almost audibly cracked. Ryan slipped his hands up the back of the Omega's rough tunic and his fingers fanned across his skin. Ray had grown so soft around the hips and thighs, even at his cute belly. He didn't grope - he merely let himself feel the heat, thumbs moving in slow circles as if to soothe the Omega sitting upon his lap like a ragdoll. He nuzzled his cheek, his neck, the line of his shoulder – it was all like velvet against his chaste lips. He wanted to seek the Omega's virgin glands and set his teeth in them all but that was a violation he could not justify.

 

He had great respect for the scent-drunk boy in his arms and he would do no more than what he had already. Not without permission.

 

Their scents began to mix – sweet and baked spice, herb butter, powdered sugar over freshly baked roll. It made the king's stomach growl. He nudged his nose beneath the Omega's jaw and took greedy huffs of his addictive scent like a young, immature Alpha pup. He murmured a few words of encouragement, guiding the boy not to get carried away with his mouthing.

 

Ray pulled back and their cheeks brushed, the boy's eyes hooded as his pink tongue darted out to lick at kittenish fangs that paled in comparison to Alpha canines. “They _itch_. Wanna' bite.”

 

The slight slur in his voice brought a rough sound up into Ryan's chest. He cleared his throat and gentled the Omega with slow strokes over his bare back, eating up the tiny shivers the actions induced. “You can lick, boy. No biting. I know it's tempting, it is your nature. Your skin calls to me as well.”

 

He pried one hand away from the warm flesh and ran the back of his knuckles over Ray's cheek, trailing down to brush a bare collar bone. Ryan canted his head to the side and took the boy by the chin to guide him to the delicate spot under his jaw. “Satisfy yourself, my boy."

 

“My lord,” Ray keened as he started to nuzzle and press his lips against the slightly swollen gland. The flavor of the Alpha burst across his mouth and he hesitantly lapped lightly at his own lips, the other's skin, wherever he could find the taste. Their scents slid together so nicely, complimenting each other, and they both got light-headed off it.

 

Ryan finally got too dizzy to stay sat up and cupped the dip of the boy's back, promising him that everything was alright and he just needed to shift position. Ray wouldn't let go and he found he didn't mind. Ryan stretched out and laid on his back upon the grass, sinking into it and blinking up at the wisps of grey clouds above them. Ray snuggled contently into his shoulder and curled up in the crook of the Alpha's' arm, eyes closed and leg carelessly thrown over the other's own.

 

“Ryan.” His name was purred as the boys fisted his shirt and buried his face in it.

 

“Remember, Ray,” Ryan warned, “Only do this with Alphas you trust. Some men would be more than happy to take advantage of you under the guise of 'scenting'.” He rubbed his arm. “Don't let them.”

 

Ray nodded sleepily. “Can we stay here little longer?”

 

Ryan teased the collar of the boy's shirt before he tugged it close to hide his modesty, holding him just a little tighter. “Of course.”

 

The king made a silent note to post more trustworthy guards at the gate. _Maybe I'll make it an Alpha-free garden._

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ever since Ryan had gotten a true sample of the boy’s scent he’d grown distracted. It was not just lustful dreams and quiet yearnings for the pleasure of his company anymore. It had grown to fanciful daydreams full of cuddling and tender kisses, of fantasies that consisted of dressing Ray in the finest silks and feeding him only the most exquisite food until he fit to burst. He wanted to see him…dare he even think it, he wanted to see the boy _happy_. Ray was made to be always content and laughing, lost amongst the petals and vines of the garden with nothing but a smile on his face.

 

What this meant, Ryan wasn’t sure. He’d taken up lovers of all statuses but never for more than a few days at a time or just for the hour. He acknowledged he had quite a fetish for knotting his unruly guards and spoiling young Omegas for a brief time but nothing like this had ever come out of it. He’d never thought of those paramours for longer than he was in bed with them. This small boy – this tiny Omega – seemed to be seeping into his every thought and dream like the sweetest incubus. Sometimes it was a lusty scene of burying himself between the sweet smelling Omega’s thighs, but other times it was just the two of them beneath a stretch of starlit sky speaking quietly of nothing at all.

 

He didn’t know what this was and there was no one he could ask. His most trusted would never stop teasing him for his feelings. He could hear them now, mocking the “Mad King” for having a soft spot for a little gardener. Only Burns and Ramsey truly knew how much time he spent in royal garden and exactly who he was spending that time with.

 

So he began to touch Ray more in hopes of defining what he felt. Fingertips along his nape, a thumb across his wrist, holding his hand and lacing their fingers to feel a shared warmth. They scented lightly whenever they could find a private moment and the boy grew much more comfortable pressed up against him. The king dared to press tiny kisses to Ray’s brow, the back of his hand, and so rarely upon his red cheeks. The brushes grew more frequent over a few weeks and the Omega responded shyly at first but quickly became just as eager for them as Ryan himself was to give them. They would both smile at the actions and Ray would tease him about being a court trained seducer and a cad but he knew the insults to be light-hearted.

 

But Ryan was _hungry_ and he needed to know if what he felt with the boy was a deep friendship or something deeper. He knew very few ways to find out and made the decision to jump in head first and hope for the best.

 

The day it happened was overly warm. Sweat beaded along their hairline and dipped into the hollow of their throats, collars unlaced and open to allow the breeze to kiss the exposed flesh. Thankfully the wooden canopy above the bench they’d chosen was thick with autumn clematis and vines to provide shade. The fragrance of the flowers complimented Ray’s sweet scent and Ryan found a heady buzz running through his head. The boy was babbling about the new cyclamen bulbs the king had ordered – beautiful, rose-like flowers that would give color to the garden as the other plants withered during the winter. The excitement that flowed off of Ray was contagious. Seeing the Omega so happy because of something he’d done gave him pride and if there was a soft smile on his face then that was just fine.

 

Ryan leaned in and pecked a kiss on the boy’s cheek. Ray stopped mid-word, froze, and his heart stopped. The Alpha was terrified he’d ruined everything, shattered their moment with a wrongful touch. He looked away, both shy and scared of what he’d done. “Was that not alright? I’m sorry, I-”

 

“Ryan.”

 

He slowly turned toward the boy again, finding a dazed smile on his face and a bashful gaze peering at him from beneath dark spun lashes. “It was…more than alright. In fact, it was just fine. My lord, you spoil me.”

 

A suffocating swell of emotion rose in Ryan’s chest and for a moment he couldn’t breathe. He had to know what this was, he thirsted for it. The answer lay on those small lips and with a taste he would have peace, he was sure of it. The breeze picked up and his breath was filled with the Omega’s sweet scent now deepened with arousal, with affection. It tickled his nose and curled down into his lungs, tempting him. _Just one little kiss. It won’t harm a thing._

 

“Then let me spoil you again,” Ryan breathed as he tucked a thumb beneath the Omega’s chin. The words had aimed to be a lustful purr and had turned to breathless delight as his usually solid nerves turned to a flutter of butterflies in his stomach. Casting off his doubt, he dipped in and bussed their lips.

 

It was like a spark off flint that threatened a roaring fire. The sensation surprised them both and they gasped against one another. The contact was felt from lips to toes and back up to become a shiver in their spines. It last only a few moments but when they pulled away and it was as if they’d been branded. Two sets of wide, surprised eyes stared and they pulled away from each other so as not to be consumed. The ghost of the touch lingered on their mouths and in that moment they realized there was much more to than they’d thought.

 

Ryan got to his feet as he scrambled to get his wits about him. He fumbled over a few words before he cleared his throat and put a solid thought together. “I'm sorry, Ray. I...I believe I've spent more time than I should have. The crown requires me before the evening sets.”

 

Ray shook off the pleasant buzz the kiss gave him and reached out to grab the Alpha by the wrist, throat bobbing as he too tried to get his voice back. “D-Do you have to go right this second? I would-” He wet his lips and grinned, trying to entice him to stay. “I would very much like to do that again.”

 

Ryan felt the weight on his chest give and his smile was full of nothing but tenderness for the Omega that was looking up at him. He cupped Ray's cheek and hesitated on leaning over him, taking a moment to ask himself if this was the path he wanted to take, but one glance into those doe like eyes and he knew he was lost. He took another kiss though this one lingered. Lips slid along one another, guided by the faint brush of tongue that was only bold enough to skim – never to dip inside. There would be time to plunder and taste, to explore one another if fate should have it.

 

This was not a goodbye but a promise.

 

“As would I,” Ryan swore, letting his fingertips graze the boy's cheek one last time.

 

“I’d hoped…” Ray trailed off and took up the hand against him, holding it close in a silent plea not to go. “I’ve been yearning for that for an embarrassingly long time, my lord.”

 

“I am _Ryan_ to you, Ray Narvaez,” Ryan admitted in a wistful sigh, thumbing just under the boy’s eye and memorizing the look of pure ardor on his handsome face, “And you have not been alone in that.”

 

Ray felt his chest shudder and he melted against the bench, mourning the lost touch as the lord stepped away and bowed his head.

 

Ryan made it to the safety of an empty hallway before he collapsed against a wall. Hidden by the shadows, he touched his mouth and stared in shock at the floor. The kiss…he’d never felt a kiss like _that_ before. The start of a fire, a shock of lightning across his tongue – more than he’d ever hoped for. No Omega, no person, had ever made him so light headed. That beautiful, precious Omega had gifted him with a kiss. His first ever, maybe. The thought of being the first to ever touch such sweet petals brought a dark, possessive streak through him.

 

He would not share such a prize, not for anything in the Realm.

 

o0o0o0o

 

They spoke not at all about the kiss but they became more tactile, though in different ways. Ryan would lead the Omega along by a hand on the dip of his back, he’d touch his cheek, even hold his hand when they were alone and unworried. Ray’s touches came after an adorable smile where he would smooth the Alpha’s hair, fix his clothes if he’d become rumpled, and keep close to his side. Though neither had the courage to kiss again, they scented more often and less chastely. Ryan refused to mark Ray but the Omega had no qualms about leaving tiny purple marks and he had to train him to leave them low if at all. He would wear Ray’s marks with pride if it wouldn’t cause more trouble than he could explain. He loved the feel the boy’s small canines scratching at his skin and he longed to feel them lower or over his more sensitive scent spots – but he did not want to ruin their delicate relationship.

 

The disguised king graciously offered to ride with him to the edge of the forest line to help him gather wild berries and small white flowers for some sort of poultice for burns. They met at the gate before the sun rose, both wrapped in their cloaks, and they set off for the tree line. They didn’t take the path but cut straight through the grass and fields and skimmed several farmlands to get there as quickly as possible. As the sky began to brighten up they picked up speed and the wind whipped back their hoods, smiles bright on their faces. They would race now and then, exchanging looks that spoke more than words ever could, and by the time the sun was halfway past the horizon they had arrived.

 

The forest did not grow thick until half a mile and berry bushes grew in rich bunches around the trunks. The nutrient riddled flowers stemmed high from the ground and were easy to snatch up and put in Ray’s woven basket. They didn’t say much at first as they sipped from their waterskins and crunched through the brush.

 

“By the gods,” Ray whined quietly, rubbing his palm in the bottom of his back, “I can tell I have not ridden so far in a long while. Everything from my thighs up is sore.”

 

Ryan brushed away a low hanging branch and could not quite hide his smirk. “Pity. There are so many more pleasurable ways to gain such sweet pain.”

 

Ray gasped sharply and tripped over a root, staggering forward and catching himself behind a tree out of sight. He pressed his back to the bark and felt his cheeks burn, the blush going straight to his ears and down to spread along his throat. The jest was flirtatious and for the first time since the kiss he thought that, just maybe the lord was interested in him like _that_. A secret, potent happiness bubbled up into his chest and he thought he would faint from the rush of sensation. They’d been dancing around something these past few weeks

 

Did Ryan want him in such a way? Did he find him desirable?

 

“Ray.” He heard the hesitance in the lord’s voice. “Forgive me, that was crude.”

 

Ray took a long breath and rubbed the back of his hand along his cheeks in a useless attempt of scrubbing away the color. He stepped out and saw that the lord looked uncertain and was chewing upon his lip as if nervous. Ryan resembled a school boy waiting to be scolded. It was a new sight and he was stunned to see it. This Alpha lord was waiting for his forgiveness for such a light comment.

 

The thought of someone so handsome and strong, of such high standing, being possibly attracted to him was intoxicating. He swayed and had to brace his hand on the tree. _Is this what it’s like to be drunk?_

 

“There’s nothing to forgive, my lord,” Ray promised, holding out the basket. “Here. Carry this for me while I forage?”

 

Ryan’s rush to obey and the careful way he handled the woven handle sent a strange heat between the Omega’s thighs. He got up on his toes and pecked a kiss on the lord's cold mouth – so brief the touch yet so it had the strength to break down all the walls they'd tried to build between them. He'd never seen the lord light up like he did with such a tiny gesture.

 

There truly was hope.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Their every day lives became peppered with similar, chaste kisses that made their lips tingle and their hearts buzz. They fell in love with every touch, every buss of lips sending them deeper into one another until their gazes could not stray away from the image of each other.

 

Ryan began to spend every spare moment he could find in the garden by Ray's side. He made sure to keep the boy up on his work but he neglected his own just so they could spend time together. His small council – Burnie, Geoff, Sorola, even his spymaster Hullum – took the brunt of his tasks. He would have felt guilty but every time Ray parted his lips against his own it felt like a blossom giving way to the first sign of day and all his thoughts evaporated like smoke.

 

They kissed just enough to fall in love piece by piece until all they could think of was the other.

 

o0o

 

When Ray received new clothes from his father it was a rare treat that he delighted in like a small child. The tunic was dark, only a shade lighter than his hair, but the belt was real leather and was wide at his waist, cutting his figure in a way he thought was flattering. The pants were thick and he knew from the first touch that they would last him a year or more even with the labor of his profession. His new boots laced tight and they were made of finer material than he'd ever seen.

 

In the privacy of his room, Ray put on all his clothes except for the belt so that his tunic hung loose. He He didn't want to wear out the leather too quickly because he didn't know where he would get a gift of this quality again. He had a long, polished glass mirror that was filthy around the edges but served to give him a good look of himself. What he saw was nice and he smiled to himself as he spun around and saw how it was at every angle. He turned to the side and smoothed his tunic, a pinch forming between his brows as a stray thought curled through him.

  
The pregnant wives in the village who looked so happy with their round bellies and their flushed cheeks, the Omega and Beta women who carried themselves so well...he wondered if he would ever know such joy. His father had said the Omega boys in their family were known to be able to catch. They would have to find a good doctor to be for certain and they couldn't quite afford the luxury at the moment. But there was a chance that when he was a little older he could take an Alpha's seed and have pups.

 

But not just any Alpha.

 

Ray eyed the new nest that was his bed. As he'd gone through the change he'd done so resting comfortably in the nest Lord Ryan had provided for him. A whole new bed – for him and Papa – it was a dream. Thick, feather stuffed blankets that wouldn't retain sweat and higher count sheets than he'd ever known. His father had assured him they were the nicest that could be obtained on such short notice. What had been a comfy cot before now became a true nest, a place he could curl up in and truly rest. He felt so safe in the place an Alpha had helped build for him, an Alpha he trusted and had kissed so sweetly.

 

He took a smaller pillow up off the bed and squeezed it as he made his way back to the mirror. Feeling childish and wonderfully restless, he pushed the pillow under his shirt and tucked the hem into the line of his pants. He squished it down and smoothed it to try and imitate the belly of the baker's happy Omega wife. A smile broke out on his face as he spun a fantasy about the bulge being his own stomach. His heart fluttered happily as he ran his hand over it and imagined a sweet pup or two inside – growing, squirming, becoming little sons or daughters with his dark hair and complexion. Maybe some with thick, blonde locks or blue eyes that would grow into fine Alphas or adorable Omegas or even hard working Betas.

 

Ray colored up as he realized he was thinking of Ryan's pups inside him. Though their kisses had been chaste these fantasies were not. Though he had already admitted to himself that he cared for the lord more than he should, the joy he got from this little game of pretend spoke volumes more than _liking._ The game deepened, thickening up until it was practically distorting his vision.

 

The handsome Lord Ryan would court him properly, give him gifts and treats to soften him up before quite literally sweeping him off his feet. The Alpha was so sophisticated, so charming, and he was sure if there were to be anything romantic between them then it would be done with great love. Ryan would tuck him up behind the hedges and kiss him until they were both breathless. Then he would get down on one knee, take his hand, and ask Ray to bond with him so that he would become his Omega.

 

Ray blushed hotly all over as he pictured Lord Ryan down on his knees before him, smiling and breathless in anticipation of his answer. He shivered and pressed harder on the faux-stomach. Just the mere thought of bearing the lord's children made him hot inside. He didn't know much about mating besides the basic details his father had explained to him and the over-exaggerations his friends had bragged about, but he knew that he liked the kissing and light touches.

 

He closed his eyes and imagined Lord Ryan now standing behind him, the Alpha's body heat bleeding into him and breath tickling his hair. Ray hummed to himself and in his mind the lord reached around to caress his swollen belly. There would be adoration in that fathomless blue gaze and it would be focused on their little family.

 

Ray felt joyful tears well as he opened his eyes and stared at his bare hand, imagining a band of metal there. He looked up and could have sworn he saw a shimmer of silver scars on his throat. He dared to think that they would not only bond but marry properly, to become true partners. His chest became light and he felt a swell on the back of his throat, but he was smiling so brightly that his cheeks hurt. Ryan was a good man, a good Alpha, and if he offered the bond then he would take him into his house. Ray would take his crest, his family colors if he had them, even his last name. Ryan could be...gods above, he could be his _Alpha._ His one, his only.

 

And if that were to happen, where would he be? Would he move in with the lord? Ryan said he lived in the castle and the Omega couldn't help but wonder if he would be welcome to live there as well. To be amongst the other lords and ladies, the knights and nobles, to sleep in a bed even grander than the one the lord had given him (though he could hardly imagine anything finer.) And they would share that bed as husband and wife. Omegas, even male, usually took the title as they were that in all ways – the homemaker, the cook, the child-bearer, the loving support for their husband. It was a role he would not mind taking in the least for a handsome, kind lord like the one who cared for him.

 

Ryan did care, he was sure of it. After he'd truly presented his senses had strengthened and reached their full potential. Ray scented the lord as often as he could and there was nothing but trace-scents lingering to his clothes and hair. There was no hint of a lover, no bond mark, not even a love nip on his pale skin. Could he be so lucky that Ryan was giving him all his attention? Was this prime specimen of an Alpha truly without a bed warmer?

 

A giggle bubbled out of his throat. The handsome lord was spending all his free time with _him_. Of all the beautiful ladies in court, Ryan was tearing himself away from all that and coming to the garden so that they could hold hands and cheek-kiss like younglings (though he himself was considered a youngling coming onto only his seventeenth year). He'd never felt so giddy before and it was all from the Alpha lord, the fake curve of his belly, and the possible future of a warm home and a loving mate.

 

But was he good enough to be his Omega? Ray had no delusions of his low status or where he came from, how people viewed him. He knew the frail worth of his last name and how the fruits of his labor were better seen after he was done and gone.

 

There was something all-consuming in the way Ryan looked at him as if he were his son and stars, his _garden flower_ , maybe even his Omega.

 

“Raymond!”

 

Ray yanked the pillow out from under his shirt and tossed it to the bed on pure impulse. His father's tone was impatient and he sounded as if he'd been calling his name for quite some time. He needed to leave his fantasies for the quiet and privacy of night.

 

“I'm coming!”

 

o0o

 

With every garden tryst, with every soft kiss or gentle scenting, Ray slowly convinced himself that – _yes_ – he could be a good Omega to Ryan. He brought the Alpha packets of tea that could ease his insomnia and aches, offered him knowledge of the plants, and made him smile. Ryan responded to him in every way, always eager to listen and quick to laugh. It was so genuine and it only endeared him more to the Alpha.

 

Ryan cared for him, he could feel it right down to his core. What they had was special and he wanted to protect it, culture it into it's full potential.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Burnie and Geoff only spoke about the Royal Gardener's son in low tones and with their heads bowed together. They refused to speak his actual name and didn't let their conversations slip into any other ears. Ryan had forbid them from visiting Ray in the garden or otherwise and from revealing the king'd identity. Their words were worried, hushed, and they only grew with the rules their sovereign put in place.

 

Together, they cornered him.

 

Ryan looked up from the fireplace as his chamber doors opened up and his two most trusted came in. He raised a brow and sipped from his goblet but there was no concern on his face. “My friends. Come. Make yourself comfortable. No need to go easy, Ramsey, this is a new bottle.”

 

The knight eyed the decanter but waved it off, approaching but refusing to sit. “Sire...I...”

 

“I'm afraid we've come to talk about something that requires less mirth,” Burns cut in.

 

Ryan's demeanor hardly changed but he did lean back on the couch, a silent signal that they had his full attention.

 

“We want to speak of the garden boy.”

 

The king's jaw tightened. His words came quick. “Is he alright? Has something happened? _Speak_.”

 

“He's fine,” Geoff promised with a raised hand, hoping to calm his king's temper before it rose to a fever pitch. “It's just that Burns has some reservations.”

 

“ _I_ have reservations?” Burnie scowled. “Are you throwing me to the dogs?”

 

“I just don't have as much venom against the match as you do,” Geoff admitted reluctantly, glancing between his frowning sovereign and his frustrated friend. “I see the look in your eyes when Ray speaks to you, my king, and the tenderness there when _you_ speak of _him_. You wax poetry of how he prunes the hedges and treats his treasured flowers. In my opinion, Burns, our beloved king is whipped like any Alpha should be by a sweet-smelling Omega.”

 

Ryan's fingers went bone white around his goblet, the rim hiding his scowl. “Careful, Ramsey. You can still defend my kingdom without a tongue.”

  
“Apologies, sire, but I don't have as much faith as he does,” Burnie confessed with a stalwart glare. “I need to know if you're messing with the poor boy or worse. I need to know if this is serious or if you're just bored.”

 

“You need to know _nothing_ ,” Ryan snapped back before he took a long pull from his goblet.

 

“If you're bored there are whores for that!” Burnie shot back, the first spark of anger dancing into his chest. “If this is another scheme or game, Ryan, then you need to knock it off. Whatever strange craving you're having, ruining that boy's reputation will not sate it!”

 

Burnie didn't flinch as the king's goblet was tossed into the fire, flames crackling and sparks flying up as the metal tore through the charred logs and the wine sizzled. The king stood and his eyes were as black as the ash that had spilled onto the stone floor. “How _dare_ you? You piece of filth. You ungrateful shadow of an Alpha. You were disgraced when I took you up and you would accuse me of such atrocities?”

 

Burnie raised his chin. “You've done so in the past. A trail of Omega and Beta women out of your chambers, at least one leaving with a bastard. Not to mention your King's Guard. Joel, Ellis...gods, even Ramsey and I-”

 

“Shut your mouth!” Ryan barked, closing the distance and seizing the Alpha by the neck. Burnie didn't move to defend himself but he did not give one inch of ground. “What I do is none of your business.”

 

“It is our _only_ business,” Burns rasped.

 

Ryan's fierce gaze darted all over the man's face before he threw him away, turning his back on both men and moving to stand before the fire. He crossed his arms over his chest and simply _breathed_ , pushing down the ire until it was only an unpleasant coil in his gut. Burnie rubbed at his throat and silently gasped to fill his lungs. The clamp on his windpipe had been brief but bruising.

 

“I haven't knotted an Omega since before my father died,” Ryan confessed, blonde lashes glittering in the firelight. “Back in my youth. All those I have paraded through my chambers had only been for a brief, physical release that has never quite satisfied me. They weren't worth my time, they were nobodies, and I would never risk my heir like that. As for my Alpha perversions...I have never taken a man against his will. Even you, Burns, panted after my cock like a willing bitch, as did your precious Joel. You were bent over the edge of the bed, right there, if I remember correctly.” He threw his chin towards the large mattress. “You were slurring without a drop of wine in your belly. I'd never felt such soft hips on an Alpha before. Gods, you were beautiful." His eyes sharpened. "You spilled the moment my knot touched your ripe ass, so red with marks as it was."

 

Burnie snarled but Ramsey was the one who shuddered when his king's eye raked over him.

 

“I can also very vividly recall you on your knees, Geoff.” His lips twitched up in a faint smirk. “Nice and willing, stroking that impressive meat of yours while you licked my knot. You knelt for me for almost an hour like the good little knight you are."

 

“T-This is not about us. Forgive me for misdirecting.” The words pried themselves out from Burnie's grit teeth, both Alphas flushed in being reminded of those nights and so many more. “My concern is for Ray. He's a child, sire, a fresh Omega at that. Must you choose _him_?” He spotted the shock of red on the table – a vase of roses that came from the royal garden. “He seems sweet and kind. It would be a shame to have such a boy shamed.”

 

“I can assure you I'm not _shaming_ him,” Ryan growled, canines flashing very briefly before he got his expression under control.

 

Burnie's mouth snapped shut. He knew he would get no where with his king when he was acting this way. Ryan had dug in his heels and it would be impossible to get him to see anything else but what he himself knew as the truth. He'd hoped to prevent this familiar dance from going on. Maybe Ryan hadn't bred the few Omegas and Betas he'd seen the king disappear with but that did not mean dukes and lords did not go off and knot up the Omega servants. Burnie had seen the Royal Gardener's son up close, had heard him talk, and he did not wish him such a disgraced fate.

 

“And when you are through with him?” Burnie challenged quietly. “When your interest wanes and you stop visiting the garden?” His voice started to crack as his heart filled up with old hurt. “How else would he feel if not _used_?”

 

Geoff frowned deeply as he saw his friend's shoulders start to shake. “Burns, are you alright?”

 

Ryan turned towards them and saw a flash of pure anguish cross his Lord Commander's face. This Alpha had served in a low level position when his father ruled and had been labeled weak, too ambitious yet out of shape. Ryan had drug him up from the mud and had crafted him into the strapping man that stood in front of him. He'd given him a high title, new armor, and power to create the best King's Guard that had existed in the Haywood rule. They had fallen into bed a few times when Ryan first came to the crown, even a few times after that, and Ryan had knotted Burnie's favorite – his Joel, his secret partner, their relationship nothing more than a whisper in the castle. The Lord Commander's hurt, sapphire eyes told him that he had gone too far.

 

“Geoff, leave us,” Ryan ordered softly.

 

Ramsey hesitated for as long as he dared before he bowed slightly. “My king. Lord Commander.”

 

And then it was just the two of them.

 

“Come here, Burns.”

 

“I've said my peace, I should leave,” Burnie gruffed.

 

“Nonsense. Sit.”

 

Burns shuffled over to the couch and sat down, staring ahead as his fingers laced in his lap like he was praying. Ryan settled down close beside him, one knee tucked under him as he faced the older man while the other fell to rest on the floor. He reached out and laid a hand on the clenched ridges of his hands, thumb rubbing over them in a silent plea to relax.

 

“I never meant to hurt you, my Lord Commander,” Ryan promised, leaning in to nuzzle through the man's coppery curls. His mouth bussed the man's ear and took in his old wine scent, aged and smooth on his palate. His hand moved up and stroked his broad chest, enjoying the muscle under his palm. What a beautiful Alpha he'd put in charge and put his trust into. They'd known each other since he was a young man, back when he himself was made of nothing but skin and bone while Burnie packed extra pounds that had made him incredibly soft.

 

Burnie was quiet and he knew the man was swallowing down all his doubts.

 

“Michael,” Ryan breathed as he tucked a knuckle under the older man's chin and turned his head so their eyes met, “My most trusted. Your king still loves you.”

 

Ryan slanted a kiss across his pliant lips and drank down the relieved sigh that came from his Lord Commander. He rubbed all over Burnie's chest, his arm, across his strong neck and through his curls. It was innocent at first but his body remembered the other Alpha and he let his instincts take over. Ryan pushed him out flat on the couch and straddled his thick waist. Burnie's head rested comfortably on the arm rest and he parted his lips to accept his king's clever tongue, fingers carefully clenching in the younger man's shirt to anchor himself.

 

Ryan ripped himself away from the man's soft lips and moved down to the swell of his neck, licking lightly along his pulse. Burnie sucked in a loud breath and he let out the nicest whine when the king scraped his canines across his skin. Any other time and Ryan would've marked him, bit down upon his skin until it yielded ruby droplets before fucking the Alpha into a moaning, quivering mess. Burnie was always one of his favorites. He wanted to remind his friend that he was still adored, that he belonged by his side, but for once he didn't feel like sex was the way to do it.

 

“My Lord Commander,” Ryan sighed, sitting up and stroking the man's flushed cheek. Burnie beamed up at him and his heart tittered. There was such trust and affection there and he suddenly knew the Alpha's words to be in honest worry. “Go back to your lover tonight with your sovereign's blessing.” He ran a hand down his chest and savored the slight moan the touch brought. “Fuck him well and know that your king adores you and you are not used. You are treasured.”

 

There was one last kiss upon his lips.

 

With Burnie's composure pieced together, Ryan was finally left alone to his thoughts. He poured himself another glass of wine and went to bed, propping himself on the plethora of pillows. He gazed out at the extravagance of his room and his mind started swirling around the one person that mattered most to him at this moment.

 

Ray. His precious garden flower. What they were doing – was this for the long run? Burnie's accusations had angered him but was that because the man had been wrong or because he'd been _right_? He hadn't thought of his end game, he'd been much too busy enjoying their time together. Ray was his sweetest boy and he'd never thought to defile him. He'd wanted to guide him into his Omega nature, to enjoy his lovely scent and pet through his silken hair – crushing the petals of his virginity for sport was not a savory thought. All he knew was that Ray was _his_ and he never wanted to let him go. Maybe, just maybe, his Omega. Though he was prone to “collecting” people, he'd never truly met someone he'd considered completely _his_ and wanted to selfishly guard from the world.

 

He'd meant what he said about the garden – that was their domain. It was their warm, welcome place where his Omega looked at him with an honest smile and wanted nothing from him. It was where Ray came to him even more beautiful with filth from the earth on his cheeks and the musk of a dozen flowers clinging to his clothes. In that sacred place Ryan could touch him as he pleased – his dirt stained hands, his lovely raven hair, his soft lips and velvet skin.

 

Ryan had never felt true love from his family, and being hurt by their indifference he had barred himself from feeling such emotions from his subjects and supposed “friends”. He cared for Ray greatly and his heart swell with affection for him. He cared more for him than anyone he'd ever known.

 

“My flower,” Ryan murmured into the loneliness of his room. “What am I to do? Gods, give me guidance, for I am so lost."

 

* * *

 

**Thank you, my bois, with all my heart, for writing this whole outline for me :)**

 

 


	18. Daniel the Wolf King - Part V (Final)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan and Dan have a duel, the Spartan submits, and the Hound is born.

**Thank you guys so much for your patience, your love, your reviews, your fanart - everything. You are the best group of readers a writer could ask for. I'm sorry I made you wait so long, forgive me.**  
  
**This is the last part of this arc. Check out the[timeline](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/95604916006/and-life-is-wine-chronological-masterpost-wip).**

* * *

 

 

Haywood should not have been as fast as he was. The man's shoulders were thick with muscle and when Dan charged him he found him to be a brick wall. He was not exactly _fast_ but he was agile, his feet seeming to know just when to move to dodge the Spartan's attack. Dan came at him with fierce thrusts and sharp jabs, treating the sword as if it were a spear, but the other king was damn near omnipotent with his counterattacks.

 

The packed courtroom waited with baited breath. Nobles and servants alike gaped at the powerful display of their king. A young bard memorized the scene before him to tell of it later in song and many representative nobles from the Seven Kingdoms took notice of how skilled their “Mad King” was. Many were pale at the first sight of their king's blood – a simple slice to the forearm from a good block – but there was a strange swell of pride within them when he did not even flinch.

 

The queen clung to his seat with white knuckles as his husband fought the Spartan.

 

Dan had quick feet and strength as well but his inexperience was glaring. He left too many openings and charged blindly when provoked. Haywood's calm only enraged him more. The older Alpha dodged his attacks and used his weight against him to send him sprawling to the floor in graceless heaps. Dan was soon bruised up from the stone alone. Their sword play was in brief spurts, a parry and a counter really before breaking and the Spartan found himself backing off more than he usually would. Ryan, this Alpha king, had an overwhelmingly heated scent that threatened to clog his nose. The man moved with grace and surety and Dan found himself intimidated. No one but his own brothers and father had ever made him feel such a way. Knowing Haywood had already crawled under his skin was a distraction that only muddled up his mind and made his movements sloppy.

 

Though there was a smirk on Haywood's face, there was a hard gleam in his unearthly blue eyes. The man was taking this battle quite seriously. This was not a game but a _test_.

 

Shallow cuts littered Dan's arms and legs from barely-missed swipes. With every trickle of blood, Dan grew more enraged. Sweat beaded thickly at his hairline and his breath was harsh, noisy. He stood across from the older man, flushed and snarling. Ryan raised his sword with one hand and cocked an eyebrow, his own breath a little short but hardly a hair out of place. Dan felt young and clumsy and so _stupid_ in front of the man, and it only drove him into a tighter spiral. He growled and shifted into a wider stance, shoulders hunched and sword jutted out like a true challenge.

 

“Fight me like a man!” Dan barked in demand. “I will not be coddled!”

 

As the Spartan charged Haywood once more, the older Alpha merely shrugged with one shoulder. “As you wish.”

 

Dan took a heavy handed swipe at the king and got parried by the ebony blade. His steel seemed to shudder under Haywood's weapon and he realized it was too late, that he'd fallen into the trap. His sword arm was thrown up and he was too busy concentrating on keeping his grip on the weapon to see the king's sharp movement. The ebony blade was flipped down, pommel tightly held before the hilt of it was driven straight into the Spartan's chest.

 

It hit like a bolt of white-hot lightning. Dan's eyes widened and he choked as he felt a _pop_ in his chest before intense agony. He instinctively sucked in a breath but it was like breathing in fresh coals. His vision tunneled down briefly to just Haywood's face and he could hear his sword clatter to the ground somewhere beside him. He groaned weakly and staggered back a few feet to get his bearings but he was thoroughly stunned. Only his Spartan training and tolerance kept him on his feet.

 

Ryan whistled sharply and Kerry came up with the sheath to take his sword, muttering that it would be cleaned properly as soon as possible. Ryan instead brought out a dagger laced with veins of diamond, a pretty almost-decorative piece that caught the light with a dangerous glint. He approached the Spartan and purposefully raised the blade. “No more coddling.”

 

Dan clumsily dodged and tried to get away but the king's hand was swift. The dagger cut at his chest and stomach with easy, smooth motions. Haywood laughed like a happy predator as he stalked the young, stunned Alpha across the empty space that had been made for their fight.

 

“What's wrong? You didn't _want_ to be babied, you didn't _want_ my mercy.” Ryan's knife caught the boy on the cheek and a spatter of blood marked his sleeve. “You want to be treated like a king? _Earn it_.” A quick kick to the knee and Dan collapsed with a sharp cry, chest still throbbing hotly as his back smacked against the stone.

 

“Pfft, child,” Ryan spat before he grabbed the strap of the Spartan's armor. “Get up already. You can't fight on your back.”

 

Dan's fist caught him right in the jaw and his head whipped to the side. The whole courtroom gave pause, hands fluttering to mouths in shock. Ryan slowly turned his head back and he licked the faint scarlet from his lip. Dan saw the predatory smirk that twisted the man's mouth and he was too frightened to strike again.

 

“It's been too long since I've tasted my own blood,” Ryan rumbled out. “Can you say the same, Princeling?”

 

Dan barely had time to turn his face away before he was struck hard without mercy. Haywood's knuckles split the skin at the side of his nose and threatened to crush his face in with the excess force he'd poured into the blow. Dan sucked in a painful breath and blood filled his mouth, creeping into the dips of his teeth and coating his tongue. The dagger was put to his throat and he went still, praying for a quick death if it were to come now.

 

“Even _I_ will admit this is dirty play when I've taken your weapons from you, but you came here to _my_ Realm. You should have expected nothing less.” The blade dug into his pulse and the first well of blood bubbled up. “Do you yield, Daniel of Sparta?

 

“I-I...” The coppery trickle down the back of his throat made him gag, skin fading to an unsightly pale. The fateful words sat upon his tongue and he knew if they escaped it would be the end of him. He thought of Gavin's mournful cries and the sadness etched in Michael's eyes. He could not leave them. Not after he'd just got them back.

 

“I yield.”

 

The words rang through the hall and there was a great sigh of relief among the nobles. Even the guards relaxed, if only a little.

 

Ryan got to his feet with a triumphant grin that would not be out of place upon a proud lion. He was speckled in blood, mouth swollen, a bruise or two beneath his clothes, but he looked positively regal. Dan closed his eyes and tried to catch his breath.

 

Without prompting, Kerry approached with a cloth and a canteen of water. “Shall we send him to the healers?”

 

“No,” Ryan grunted out, looking for the head of his guard and finding him fast approaching. “Everyone out. The Wolf King and I have much to discuss alone.” He spared a glance at the wheezing boy. “Bar the doors to open on only my order.”

 

Burns looked unsure but the clench of his king's jaw convinced him.

 

“Tell Geoff to bring the Omega mates. Have them ready to serve the Spartan.” He clicked his tongue almost thoughtfully. “Serve the court well to soften my order.”

 

The guard's head dipped. “By your order.”

 

The words were spread through the rest of the guard and soon the nobles and representatives were politely being escorted out to be dispersed among the many lounge rooms. Burnie pulled one of the kitchen boys aside and ordered him quietly to have Jack fire up the ovens. Warm meats and wine and glazed fruit were to be served among the court to distract them from whatever the king was planning to do to the Spartan boy.

 

Ray stood and smoothed the panels of his clothing, touching his crown just faintly to remind himself just who he was and where he stood. He had only taken two steps before he gave pause at the sight of his husband's raised hand.

 

“Stay, my flower.” The order was simple and spoken without an ounce of the Alpha smugness that had been in his voice just moments before. Ray found it easy to take a long step back and settle into his throne once more. He folded his hands in his lap to hide the nervous twitches and watched his king carefully. He would not interfere but if Ryan were to go too far then there would be consequences that only a queen could inflict upon his king.

 

The doors were shut and barred from the outside with a solid thud.

 

Ryan dropped to one knee beside the Spartan, cloth and water from his manservant by his side. He picked the boy up by the throat and held him up, ignoring the scared flinch in favor of taking up the cloth to start wiping away the blood along his nose and mouth. He dabbed at the cut there and hushed Dan when he flinched. The canteen came next. Ryan held it firmly and tipped the rim to the Spartan's lips with a small encouragement to drink. Dan hesitated at first, thinking poison, but the coolness splashed against his mouth and he impulsively parted for it. He half expected to be drowned, to have to work to swallow, but Haywood was quite careful to keep the flow manageable. Each deep swallow gave him chest pain but it was well worth it for the relief only water could give.

 

Ryan reveled in the way he could feel the Spartan swallow under his palm. “Pretty pup like you...I should not have harmed your face. Forgive me.”

 

Dan swallowed and though his ribs felt like shards in his chest his throat was soothed. “Have you made me ugly, Your Grace?”

 

Ryan tightened his grip and tucked his thumb along the boy's jaw. He tilted his face side to side with a thoughtful frown. “You will break hearts yet. Catch your breath.”

 

Dan was allowed to lay flat once more. He stared up at the high arches of the ceiling and took slow breaths, wincing with every full inhale and feeling a raw ache on the breath out. He wondered briefly how he ended up in this place, hurt like he was, but there was no use trying to reason it out with his head spinning like it was.

 

“Did you enjoy the show?” Ryan asked his queen as he dabbed at his bloody lower lip with his sleeve.

 

“You are virile as always, my husband,” Ray drawled in a casual, slow tone.

 

Blonde brows furrowed. “You think me cruel?”

 

“You have defeated who we perceived as an enemy. You have shown Sparta that they cannot play with us. I am proud of you, my king.” Ray dropped his gaze to his hands and the royal rings upon them, crown suddenly that much heavier upon his brow. “My change of heart has made me weak. I cannot look as you kill him.”

 

Dan sat up with a strained grunt, breath coming in quick hisses as the pain splintered through his lungs. Whatever had popped in his chest now felt loose and every breath was rough. “I will not beg you to spare my life, but I will beg you do it formally and not here in front of the innocent eyes of your Rose Queen.”

 

“Innocent?” Ryan chuckled in surprise. “He was the one who called for your head on a spike. I am just trying to fulfill my flower's wishes.”

 

Ray blushed prettily in his shame of the truth. Dan's mouth briefly dropped open but he closed it with a faint click of teeth. “If...if that is what you wish, I cannot stop you. I would threaten Sparta's wrath upon this Realm but even _I_ do not believe that anymore.”

 

Ryan eyed the young Alpha for a few long moments before he gave another simple order. “Strip.”

 

Dan blanched at the word. “King Haywood, I beg you...”

 

“Disobedient boy,” Ryan snarled as he brandished the dagger once more. He stepped over him and hooked the blade under the vulnerable ties of his armor and separating a few of them with a small twitch of his wrist. “Do I need to help you?”

 

Dan quickly shook his head and started pull at the ties of his armor, pulling off the leather to avoid the wrong end of the blade. He was unarmed and there was a fresh ache in his limbs, his chest on fire – he couldn't fight the king. And if he was honest with himself, a small part of him didn't want to.

 

Ray frowned and shot a questionable look at his husband. He would not go against him but he wasn't sure where this was going. But Ryan's attention was focused on the Spartan and the methodical, painful way he was pulling off his clothes and folding them neatly on the ground. The king nodded approvingly but Dan couldn't look up from the ground even as he wobbled unsteadily. His underclothes were exposed and Ray turned his head away, fingertips pulling and wiggling his crest ring as his cheeks heated up. He heard Ryan's low whistle of appreciation and he _had_ to look.

 

Daniel of Sparta, the Wolf King...was _gorgeous_. Though Ray gazed coyly from beneath his lashes for ease to deny his stare, he could see everything quite clearly. The little king was more pale than Spartans were supposed to be, more from lineage than a lack of sunlight. He had a soft, raven hair in a thatch across his muscled stomach that led down to the thicker curls of his groin. Such powerful thighs even with the darkened slices from his husband's sword striping across them. Ray's eyes were drawn to the Spartan's center and he found his cock limp but impressive even half-covered by his hand.

 

Dan glanced at the king only briefly. “I-I should not be like this in front of your queen.”

 

“You shall be however I wish it,” Ryan growled as he stepped up and clamped his hand on the back of the boy's neck. He led him to the lowest level of the dais and forced him to kneel. Dan went with a grunt and cradled his chest with one arm, other hand covering his modesty. The chill of the stone made him shiver but he kept his head lowered. He was in a precarious position and he knew it. If the king wished, he could attack again despite the Spartan's submission. He would only be able to defend himself for a few minutes before his strength would give out.

 

 _It's easier to submit_ , Dan admitted to himself with a low sigh.

 

Ryan circled the Spartan with sharp, clinical eyes. They roamed over every inch of flesh, every swell of muscle, his very form. Dan was riddled with scars and the king was intrigued. He questioned him about the larger marks and received battle stories. A stray spear, a dagger wound, the heave of an ax from a savage – all expected from a warrior prince.

 

“This?” Ryan tapped his finger on a thick line on the boy's shoulder near his clavicle. “It looks like it was infected early on.”

 

“Rescuing Michael,” Dan stated, glancing down at the mark for just a few seconds. “Meat knife. It was a cheat shot.”

 

“Interesting,” Ryan hummed. “Those chunks on your knuckles, the ones around your mouth. Both sets are long-healed and suggest hand to hand combat.”

 

“My brothers,” he grunted out. He was highly aware of the tooth marks scarring his knuckles and the back of his hands as well as the tiny bits of scaring around his lips and chin. They were hardly visible unless one were to really look for them but that didn't mean they were healed.

 

“Bastards,” Ryan said mildly as he circled around behind. Dan tensed up and silently prayed the man didn't comment on his back. A single finger ran over one of the thickest along his shoulder blade and he suppressed a shudder. He did not want to show such weakness. He knew the scars ranged in width and they crossed over each other in an ugly patchwork design. They went from the bottom of his neck down to the backs of his knees. Some had faded into dark lines but most were ivory and raised.

 

“My father,” he growled faintly, old memories surfacing of being strapped naked over a barrel. He had sniveled and sobbed openly, just a boy of eight, begging for his father not to go through with the painful act. “I had given gold to an Omega boy in the kitchen and sent him with the vendor to live in Athens, to get out of Sparta. I was whipped every day for a week in punishment and was denied access to the kitchens for a year. He had a strong, Omegan slave do it to further his point.”

 

“He didn't want to do it himself.” Ryan's hands laid upon him and the boy startled. “He couldn't leave such a permanent mark on his son without feeling like a monster. He eased his guilt by humiliating you further.”

 

Dan chewed on those words as the king ran his hand along his shoulders and squeezed the muscle, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger to test its give (or lack thereof). “Arms out.” Dan winced but pried his arms off his sore chest and spread both limbs out. The king's fingers started roaming them at length, prodding here and there and rubbing into his skin to feel the bulge of his strength. His hands were turned over and blunt nails dug into his callouses, testing them.

 

Dan had never felt more like a piece of meat but he didn't yank away, he didn't protest. It would do him no good. Haywood rubbed over his shoulders once more and slid down to the planes of his chest, thumbs dangerously close to the growing bruise between his pecs. The muscle was laced thick there and the king made a small noise of satisfaction. The king's touch was methodical through it all until Dan finally gave in with a small groan of pain, ribs sliding under the man's touch.

 

Ryan hushed him and rubbed his hand along the back of the young Alpha's neck in a much more tender manner than he'd shown so far. “My aim is no longer to hurt you. I must ask your forgiveness again.”

 

Dan was struck by the sudden kindness and it sent a hot tingle down through his stomach to curl in his groin. It was shameful.

 

“There is great potential in this body,” Ryan muttered to himself, fingers purely inquisitive as he felt over the Spartan's back. There were no deformities, and with some prodding he deemed there was no muscle damage from the scars. He knelt down beside Dan, knee pressing into the side of the younger Alpha's leg, nearly touching from how close he pressed to get a good look. The Spartan visibly shivered and he took note of the goosebumps that prickled his unusually pale skin. Wanting to test the thickness of those thighs like they were a roast, Ryan didn't hesitate to grope at the muscled flesh.

 

Dan jumped at first with those calloused hands pinching all over him but he tried to settle or else get a punishment with those fingers so close to his more delicate parts of him (though he was starting to plump up beneath his own palm and the idea that the king could smell it was terrifying. Haywood's hands were surprisingly careful near the cuts he'd gained during their fight and he'd almost relaxed when he got his next order.

 

“Rise up, pup, let me see your calves.”

 

Dan could still hear the echo of the king's compliment to his body and he obeyed once more, rising up onto his knees. He covered himself as best he could so the queen was not exposed to his filling cock. It would have been obscene for such a lovely, delicate looking Omega to see his lust. He steeled himself from a shudder as Ryan felt at him, thumbs digging into his calves to feel how they flexed.

 

“You are a fine specimen of a growing Alpha,” Ryan praised, gaze burning over the boy's muscled cheeks and over the elegant slope of his back. Then he leaned back and caught the glimpse of a hard cock under his nervous hands, hidden by wrists. A lusty smirk cut across his face. “Hands behind your back.”

 

“Your Grace, please...the queen will see,” Dan stuttered out nervously, eyes flicking up to the throne where the royal Omega was chewing lightly on his knuckle. He was embarrassing the boy and he wanted to beg for forgiveness but he knew the king would give him a good smack or worse if he did.

 

“I own these kingdoms and everyone in them.” Haywood's lips brushed his shoulders and his short nails bit into the younger man's calf. “You are little but cattle to me at this moment. Hands behind your _back_.”

 

Dan choked on a soft whine and pried his hands off himself, flushing hotly as they slid behind his back. He grabbed his left wrist with his right hand to keep the dominant limb still as he fought tooth and nail to bare himself in front of the Rose Queen. The last thing he wanted was to offend the Omega with his disgusting lust so he tried to will it away, but it was persistent. He caught Ryan appraising it and more blood rushed south. He hated himself as his cock twitched, swelling more under the attention. He lowered his head in shame and his whole face flushed from his ears down to his chest.

 

Ryan let the Spartan stew in his shame in favor of looking up to his queen. Ray was doing his best not to stare but his little boy had some new color on his sun-kissed cheeks. The king's sharp nose could pick up the first traces of Ray's arousal. The boy was gazing at the Spartan – bruised and hard, wheezing as he was, and he was _wet_. Ryan was tempted to go up there and bend his queen over the throne and throw apart those panels, claw at his thin pants until he found his dripping hole. He could lap at it, taste the fresh slick.

 

 _Or I could get this pup to do it_. The thought caught him by surprise and, without looking away from his queen's averted eyes, he curled his fingers along Dan's cock. The defeated king cried out into the empty hall at the first touch and his biceps flexed dangerously but he did not move his hands. _This obedient hound could lick my wife open for me without me having to lift a finger._

 

Ryan fingered the boy's cock lightly and teased the loose skin at the tip that was quickly stretching, tightening around the plump head. Dan form was wracked in a full body shudder and he moaned in an interesting mix of pleasure and pain from the wound in his chest. There was already a growing bruise between his pecs. Ryan knew he'd dislocated at least two of the Spartan's ribs and separated his sternum from them, maybe more. _He takes pain well. Only a true Spartan could have bones misplaced and still put some steel in his cock. He follows orders, and Ray obviously enjoys him._

 

He got the Spartan prince to pant and bite his lip like an immature boy with just a dozen, lazy strokes of his hand. It seemed he was sensitive. Ryan slid his fingers down and curled them tightly around the base until he felt the first swell of his knot. The young Alpha let out an honest _yelp_ and clenched his eyes shut, muttering a half-hearted plea to be released.

 

“I know what kind of release you crave,” Ryan teased as he felt around the knot. It fit well in his palm but it was not the most impressive. His strange obsession with Alpha trysts was a well-guarded secret within the kingdom. It was his way of keeping his guards in check, of giving them a stronger bond of loyalty and trust. He gave them his knot and their fear turned to adoration after feeling his tender touch once he was tied in their untried holes. His tactics had given Burnie his quiet lover, Joel, and had developed a fleet of love-struck soldiers who would die at his feet if it came down to it. With Ray's plush thighs and sweet smile, those who Ryan did not touch were falling over themselves to lay exotic flowers at the Rose Queen's feet to show their dedication. “I did not know of your people before, Spartan, but I have used your tactics during my reign.”

 

Dan didn't look up but he knew he had the boy's attention. Ryan dropped a kiss on his smooth shoulder once again and could smell the need pouring off his skin. His tongue darted out to give it a taste and his stomach clenched at just how tasty he was. Powdered sugar and warm sand – Dan's scent was warm like his own. “Sire...”

 

Ryan raised and nosed at the boy's hair to get a sharp inhale. “ 'You are more likely to save your lover than your friend.' A king, or a queen.”

 

Ryan thumbed at the knot to make it fatten up while the other ran down his scarred back. Dan's shaky, pained breath made him curious. “Does the Alpha pup like pain?”

 

“N-Not pain, sire,” Dan gritted out.

 

“You are bruised and conquered,” Ryan stated as he stroked up the needy cock to hear his tiny sound. “What has gotten you so aroused?”

 

“Your...your hands are warm, sire,” Dan confessed with a shiver, his fingers tightening on his own wrist. His voice was chopped up from his chest wound. “And the queen's gaze, I-I can nearly feel it.”

 

In truth, Ray was looking heated upon his delicate throne. The expensive fabric across his lithe chest stretched as his breath came heavier. The boy looked away when he saw the king staring and Ryan's flimsy idea became solidified. He moved down and squeezed once more upon Dan's knot, the Spartan's head tossing back carelessly as he rose up fully on his knees. A mangled sound escaped his chest but it did nothing to water down his want.

 

“It's been a while, hasn't it?” Ryan teased mercilessly. “You're so responsive, Daniel. I shall have to restrain you if you are to make a proper presentation to my queen.”

 

“King Haywood, I beg you!” Dan's voice cracked as a thick bead of need oozed from the tip of his cock and rolled down the length, tickling the king's fingers. His eyes popped open in shock as the older Alpha shifted to press up behind him, legs bracketing his own. A heavy hand dragged over his ribs and up to wrap loosely around his throat, the other still idly playing with his cock and growing knot. Haywood was blazing hot even through all those clothes. He was afraid that at any moment the king would clamp a hand down on his nape and mount him.

 

“Ryan!” the informal bark of the king's name started them both. Ray was on the edge of his throne, gaping and clawing at the arms of the seat like he would bolt any moment.

  
“I was just about to inspect our Alpha boy's knot,” Ryan rumbled out appealingly.

 

Dan couldn't look, his hot shame too much knowing such a beautiful Omega was watching him be overpowered. Unseen by him, Ray scowled, showing off his teeth.

 

“I won't sit here and watch you defile him like a tyrant,” Ray hissed.

 

“You think I force him? Look at the pup's face.”

 

Dan's throat was taken more fiercely and his face was tilted up to the thrones, the flushed cheeks and bite-swollen lips getting shown off the king more visibly fondled his cock for the queen's pleasure. Haywood's scent overwhelmed him them – old, spiced hearth and pure warmth stuffing his lungs, drowning him. The wounds in his chest shifted and he started to breathe in short huffs, moaning faintly in pain even as his length throbbed in the king's grip. Dan could hardly believe this was happening.

 

That was the last thought he had before Ryan's fingers cupped his knot with more certainty, squeezing the base but mostly giving him the coverage of a faux-Omega's hole. No one had ever handled him with such strength, such skill.

 

“Look at his pretty face,” the king's tone was a purr and it burned through him. “This puppy knot straining against my fingers like it could breed them.”

 

Ray eyed the flesh bulging so needily against his husband's fingers with a tightness in his throat that also grew into heat between his thighs. Dan was a vision. Those dark nipples were chilled from the room, perked among a flushed chest. Bruised and bloodied in place from the fight, he was still a 'fine specimen'.

 

Dan was swamped in the presence of the king and he could feel a tightness in his balls, all through his groin. Haywood was relentless and his insistent touch brought him to the edge without much effort at all. It _had_ been a long time. He was falling to pieces under the king's touch and he gave in with a long whimper.

 

Ryan clamped down at the base of his cock and it caught him like a hook in the gut, cutting off his embarrassing climax with deathly accuracy. He groaned in frustration and his shoulders went tense, every muscle fluttering from being denied.

 

“Calm yourself and listen to me, Spartan.”

 

Dan dropped his head and nodded tightly, posture softening up in his submission. He'd been trained from birth to withstand torture, to take pain with grace, and it wasn't hard to block out the fingers at the base of his cock. He tuned his ears to the king's voice and waited, breath still labored from the sharp pain in his sternum.

 

“I have a deal for you, Daniel.”

 

“M-Must you present it with my cock in such a precarious position?” the Spartan tried to joke. The weak smile faded into a grimace when the king tightened his vice.

 

“One year under the service of the crown.”

Dan dragged in a few haggard breaths and his darkened eyes finally raised to lock with the fiery gaze of the king.

 

“Leave Sparta, stay in my kingdom,” Ryan began with a firm, regal voice that was a stark contrast to his greedy fingers. “A full winter and summer cycle with us. You would not have contact with Sparta beyond the initial declaration that you are here willingly and that you will not return a day before your service is complete.” The king cocked his head and moved in but Dan didn't cringe. “If you do, then there will be a full-blown war between the Realm and your tiny Sparta.”

 

“Will you kill me if I say no?” Dan wheezed, heart bounding out a warrior's rhythm within his aching chest.

 

“I will meet you on the battle field and slaughter you there like the immature wolf pup I know you are.”

 

“Why?” Dan begged. “Why should I agree to such a thing?”

 

Ryan's free hand slid across his shoulder and tucked under his chin, tilting his head to present his cheek. Dan's mouth dropped open as the king leaned forward and brushed a kiss there, the brief touch sinking in like a brand.

 

“If you agree, then I will have you trained and molded into a true warrior by my best men. I'll take you under my wing and I will light the spark that will set fire to your Spartan blood.” Dan felt a wave of dizziness and the king steadied him, his bare skin pressed to all that finery as the older Alpha's thumbed at the ruddy head of his cock. “I will give you all the tools you need to fulfill your destiny, to become a true Wolf King.”

 

“You wish to breed an ally?” Dan tripped over the words, butchering them as he shuddered from pent up release and the first icy fingers of fear. His knot was grabbed much more roughly and the puppyish yip he released splintered his pride.

 

“If you tempt me, boy, I shall breed you in all ways.”

 

“Haywood,” Dan choked.

 

“What say you?”

 

Dan's head felt so fuzzy from the king's lion purr of a voice, vision swimming from the great huffs of his scent. He imagined himself in chains and being trapped in the Mad King's infamous dungeon. What if he was to be collared and leashed outside the courtroom like a prize to be walked past and gawked at? Put at the throne instead, stripped bare and showing off like a prized dog to bark at strangers. If bound under a royal decree with his freedom given up, he could be shoved in the stocks or in a cell to rot into nothingness. He could be morphed into a shackled servant, a cup bearer for the queen. _There are worse things than being a servant to a beautiful queen. And I would have my boys._

 

The alternative was death.

 

Dan's answer was mumbled and the king hissed. “I can't hear you, Spartan _king_.”

 

“I give, sire. I-I agree to your terms.”

 

Ryan's bark of a laugh startled him and his hips stuttered into the man's hand. The pressure on his throat doubled and the sudden lack of air intensified everything – spots dancing on the edge of his vision and heart seizing up to skip a beat. His inhibitions fizzled out and Dan cried out louder than before, the sound trailing off into a moan when the king's hand finally covered his knot _just right_. There was no tease this time, just bliss, and he felt like a bucket kicked over with the way he spilled. He came in heavy stripes across the stone floor and it was the greatest of reliefs.

 

Ray chewed on his knuckle as he watched the Spartan's thick seed splashed across the floor, wetting pale thighs and staining his own husband's fingers. The Omega side of him wanted to whine to watch such potent seed wasted on the ground. He wet his lips and thirsted to taste it, to compare it to the sweet rush he got from swallowing his own Alpha's essence. Ryan's growl echoed through the courtroom and it made the queen shiver. His husband's pleasure meant everything to him, even if it was not him providing it.

 

Dan wobbled, limbs turning to liquid as he knotted the king's tight hand. It was forbidden and he felt like a whore but the hazy veil across his vision was just a symptom of his pure intoxication. Haywood's calloused fingers milked him into a second round of seed and he groaned, throaty and low, only to be let go.

 

The lack of pressure took the wind out of him. Dan fell forward, hunching over his knees as his second climax crashed through him. His whole body rolled, dick pushing into nothing as his seed splashed and puddled on the stone that was biting into his knees. He tried to sit up, to compose himself, but Ryan clamped a hand on his nape and pinned him down. His forehead pressed to the dais and the power, the strength of the Alpha holding him, coaxed a surprising and almost painful third finish. It was weak, a trickle without a proper hole to squeeze his knot, but it still felt all too real.

 

Ray shivered delicately upon his throne and could not tear his gaze away from the show upon the dais. The Spartan's writhing body was pure art and he memorized every moment like an eager deviant. He had no experience besides Ryan but that didn't mean the “delicate Rose of the Realm” couldn't appreciate the Alpha's fat knot or his fit body and how it looked being commanded by his beloved. He knew how it could feel to be pinned by the nape like that. Ryan did the same thing to him while they were in bed, clamping on his scent glands and pressing down to give him a longer climax. It was a trick to prolong the pleasure and it was working on the Spartan.

 

Ryan watched with sick pleasure as Dan whined and arched under his hand, riding his pleasure peak, before going limp in pure submission. The Alpha rumble was loud in his own chest. There was something more this time around. He was getting something else out of this than he did with the usual Alpha. He wasn't just dominating young Daniel – he was claiming him. The feeling was strange but he embraced it.

 

“My king,” Dan moaned into the floor, chest full of glass and each breath just a little rougher than the last.

 

“Your king,” Ryan echoed with dark eyes and a razor sharp grin. He released the Spartan and he truly collapsed, seed smearing his bruised skin as he curled up on his side and clutched his rattling chest. The boy was shaking, oversensitive and cold as the pain threatened to seep into his bones.

 

Ray sympathized with the poor Spartan but his focus stayed on his husband's curious movements. Ryan took the cloth he had used to clean the Spartan's face and wiped it across the floor, unfolding it to gather up the thick puddles. Though he thought he'd find disgust on the king's face, there was only a thoughtfulness as he went through with the small task. Soon it was just another smear on the floor to join the many bloodstains that could never come up despite how much the staff scrubbed. It wasn't easily recognizable and Ray was sure there would be a whispered ordered to clean it up properly the moment the court was dismissed.

 

Ryan climbed the dais and tossed the soiled rag behind his throne. He picked his cloak up off the throne and shot Ray a wink before heading back down, the stunned queen watching the whole way. Ryan bellowed for his court to return. The doors shuddered as the bar was raised and the Spartan was covered before the first person could come through, the royal cloak covering his nude form and protecting him from the cold.

 

The court gathered at a respective distance by Burnie's command. They waited patiently, eyes stuck to the slumped form of the defeated king.

 

“King Daniel of Sparta has surrendered and agreed to a generous deal which will require him to give up his crown and remain here in the Realm for a year,” Ryan announced, standing beside the younger Alpha almost protectively. “We'll have an official contract drawn up and the details revealed in the ceremony. A letter to Sparta shall be sent the moment her King has rested and healed from his battle. Kerry.”

 

The boy perked up and rushed from the crowd to stand before his king, chin up.

 

“See to it that a suitable room is made up,” Ryan ordered sharply. “Have Michael and Gavin serve their once-king a hardy meal and aid him in a bath. Caleb as well – tell him to bring salve, and to be ready to bind the king's chest. Tea for his pain.”

 

Kerry's sharp mind memorized the order instantaneously. With a gesture he raced off in an attempt to give the orders the kitchen staff and chambermaids before the Spartan would be in need of it.

 

“Daniel is a guest no longer,” Ryan declared much to the wide-eyed expressions of his audience. He could almost hear the rumors starting to build upon their tongues. “He is part of my court, my royal charge until a full year has passed. He will be treated with all the respect and dignity of his station – a Prince. Barring this barbaric act, of course.”

 

Dan kept his head lowered and hidden from the court, a prince once more.

 

“Within the week, he will be properly anointed, and anyone who stands opposed shall meet a much deeper thrust of my sword.”

 

Ray stood and descended the dais as his husband addressed the court. He could hear Dan's faint whimpering and his Omega instincts screamed at him to soothe the defeated Alpha. That, and he didn't want the court to hear the weakness. Dan sniffed and caught his scent before he was there, the Alpha picking up his head to stare pitifully at the queen.

 

Ray reached out and tucked the royal cloak higher up around Dan's exposed shoulder. “The king didn't bite you into submission. An Alpha ring of scars on your throat would not be a good battle mark to return to your throne with.” He tucked a single finger under the Alpha's chin and raised his head up more, looking over his handsome face.

 

“Don't be distressed, Spartan,” Ray soothed with an icy expression, mimicking that of his husband. “You're home now.”

 

“My queen,” Dan breathed with a true, terrifying sincerity. He felt the words and their entirety. This was _his_ queen now. He dropped his chin and Ray turned his back on him, walking back up to his more delicate throne.

 

Ryan did not miss the display but refused to comment on it. He gestured and gave a pitchy whistle at Michael and Gavin, the Omega mates waiting so eagerly on the sidelines like pup. They rushed likes ones towards him and he threw his chin at the Spartan. “He's yours. Take him to the wing with the noble guest rooms. Kerry will find you.”

 

Gavin's eyes were red but his smile was grateful. “Thank you for your mercy, my king. We are eternally grateful.”

 

Michael echoed the sentiments. The mates took up their bundled, fallen king and kept hold of his covered arms, shielding his vulnerability from the prying eyes of the court. They took him out the servant's door per Ryan's request and some of the courtiers were disappointed to miss an opportunity to see the defeated king up close. There were already whispers of his beauty through the castle and soon they would spread through the kingdom, and then farther. Not only of his dark eyes and striking form but of his defeat, his submission, his new servitude to the Mad King.

 

Reassurances were whispered into Dan's ears as he was rushed away from the public eye.

 

Ryan cast his gaze around the room and there were small bows and curtsies to show respect of his decision. “Court dismissed.”

 

o0o

 

Ryan stalked after his queen after the court left. The boy had escaped the door behind the throne area, their personal way back to the main halls of the castle, a private hall for the royal couple and those they deemed worthy to use. Ray had bolted as politely as he could manage but his husband was much less worried about appearances and had chased after him.

 

Ryan caught the boy by the arm and stilled his progress, moving up close behind him and pressing his lips to the shell of one smooth, pierced ear. “Did you like what you saw? Did that Alpha pup's knot please you, wife?”

 

Ray knew that term of 'endearment' only came around when the Alpha was annoyed with him or those around him. That friction infuriated him and he whipped around, yanking his arm free as he glared at the man. Ryan's expression visibly softened but the queen's heart did not. “Only as much as you did, _husband_.”

 

“You're upset with me,” Ryan observed with a growing frown. “I've...I've hurt you.”

 

“You want him,” Ray spat. “That _king_ , that _prince_ , that Alpha who overflows with royal blood.” Tears stung his eyes as he thought of his own peasant blood, his lack of right to the crown. “You desire him greatly. The way you touched him...I know you, Ryan. You didn't touch him in the way you've touched Joel or young Adam. You touched him like you touch _me_.”

 

Ray's voice finally crackled and he was embarrassed at how emotional he was getting in front of his husband. “You've found your true royal match and I am pained to have watched it happen.”

 

Ryan quickly rushed to him and took him in his arms, a powerful forearm laying along his lower back and squeezing him tight. Ray's small form fit so perfectly against the Alpha's thicker one and he melted against his thick chest, tilting his head up in a silent request for a kiss. He got it, a sweet exchange of soft lips, and he prayed it wasn't the last. _If he tosses me aside, I am ruined. My heart would die without his to beat beside it. He is my everything._

 

“I have my true match right here,” Ryan rumbled, heavy palm settling under the boy's jaw to keep him from hiding his face. Those true blue eyes were searing through Ray and he tried not to purr for his Alpha, wanting to stay strong. “And I have put a crown upon their lovely brow and my colors on their chest, my rings on their fingers. I have found my Omega, my world, and I have married them before the gods and my people. He is the most gorgeous creature to walk this earth. He is my Rose Queen, beloved by my kingdoms, a symbol of youth and fertility and love for the Realm itself.”

 

“My king,” Ray breathed, heart filling up to bursting.

 

“That pretty pup in there? I do not wish to put him on my throne,” Ryan assured him with a dark gleam flicking through his bright gaze, voice deepening into a growl. “I wish to put him on his _knees._ I want to stand beside you, my queen, you are my equal and you have my unwavering respect and love. Daniel of Sparta...I want to own him. I want _us_ to own him.”

 

“By the gods,” Ray breathed, flushing from the ends of his ears to the tip of his nose. “Ryan, I...I don't know what to say.” He cleared his throat and tried to push aside his feelings, the icy fingers of jealousy receding. “I know he is to stay but how will he fit in our court if you are to claim all rights to him like this?”

 

Ryan's grin was filthy. “There must be _some_ surprises left in our marriage, my dear. I will not show my full hand right away.”

 

“If I know anything about you, it is this,” Ray sighed out, but there was relief and affection in his voice.

 

“It was not my intention to hurt you,” Ryan promised with a kiss to his cheek. “Let me make it up to you, my flower. Stay in my chambers tonight.” His voice dropped and a slow, damp kiss was pressed against the Omega's fluttering pulse. “Let me pamper you.”

 

“You always do,” Ray stated in a breathy whine, fingers curled tight into the rich fabric of his husband's sleeve. “And there is no place better than your bed, Ryan.”

 

Ryan chuckled and peppered his sensitive throat with small, loving pecks. “You seem happy enough in your bed with your precious Omega mates curled around you.”

 

Ray threaded his fingers in blonde hair, pulling lightly, glad that his intimidating crown had been shed before the duel. “They are not my husband. They are not my Alpha King.”

 

“Do they not satisfy you?” Ryan questioned hotly, hand spreading out along the boy's lower back in a possessive display that no one was around to see.

 

Ray dug his fingers into the man's scalp. “Don't you get jealous over my boys when I know your knot has stretched more Alpha holes than you can remember.”

 

Ryan's full body shudder had pride pulsing through the Omega.

 

“You know I'm right.” He gave his husband once last kiss on the cheek. “Tonight, then.”

 

He left the king there dizzy and love-struck, and that was the way he liked it.

 

o0o

 

True to the king's word, Kerry caught the Omega mates after only a few moments of wandering the guest halls. He led them up to one of the towers to one of the largest guest chambers, an area meant for visiting royalty. Lindsay, one of Ryan's favorite servants, was flying about the place – dusting, scrubbing, setting out blood red velvet coverings and placing candles atop them. She'd readied the bathing area and shooed them in there, shooting a blushing wink at Michael and telling him to be careful with such beautiful cargo.

 

Dan had managed a weak laugh but it had been with stinging breaths.

 

As the woman prepared the rest of the chambers – remaking the bed, burning incense, and taking the sheets of the furniture – the mates took their king into the bathing room and found a bath waiting. It was a special invention, one of the king's own, where a fire pit in the floor beneath the stone tub kept the water hot but not boiling without the need to ferry in buckets of fresh water. It wasn't as exquisite as the bath chambers with the naturally heated spring water and the deeply laid in-ground stone tubs. That area was more like a private hot springs than somewhere one goes to clean themselves.

 

Together (with Michael taking most of the weight) they lowered Dan into the steaming water. The Spartan cried out and then set into a fit of coughs but as he was further submerged all he could do was sigh in relief. There was a knock on the door only a few minutes in and Michael went to it, his mate staying behind to kiss at Dan's temple and soothe him. When the Alpha groaned in discomfort, Gavin was quick to grab a cushion and lay it over the edge of the tub, the shape of it showing it was meant for such a purpose. He stroked the man's dark hair as he eased his head upon it, softening his recline, and the lack of stone against his aching head made a world of difference.

 

“My Gavin,” Dan whined lightly as he truly let himself relax.

 

“I'm right here, Daniel. I promise.”

 

Kerry whispered through the crack in the door and slid a vial into Michael's hand before disappearing to give them privacy. Michael returned with a smile and uncorked the bottle to pour fat drops into the tub. While the water stayed milky with the soap Gavin had lathered into it, the scent changed. The room filled with a musky, rich scent that padded Dan's sore lungs and helped him breathe easier.

 

“A compliment from the Rose Queen,” Michael assured him as he sat on the stool beside the tub and picked up a cloth to mimic his mate's actions. “He wishes you health as he attends to his duties.”

 

“He is a lovely boy,” Gavin cooed as he lathered up his own cloth with a fat sliver of soap. They began to clean him in unspoken unison, being careful of his wounds.

 

Michael was scrubbing the man's filthy fingers clean when there was another knock.

 

“It's Caleb.”

 

“Get in here.”

 

Caleb came inside and beamed at the Spartan, staring in blatant adoration for too long before he shook himself free of the spell and dipped his head. “You have no idea how good it is to see you, my king.”

 

Dan blinked slowly at him but smiled, mind already half-gone with exhaustion. “Caleb, my sweet boy.”

 

Caleb hurried over and knelt down beside the tub, ignoring Gavin's defensive chirp as he leaned closer to the Alpha. It was a quiet claim but it didn't faze the healer in training.

 

“Try not to move around too much,” Caleb advised. “I want to apply ointment and bandages once you’re clean and that bruise on your chest looks trouble. I have concern for it.”

“Start on the tea to ease our king's pain,” Michael ordered. “We'll finish him.”

 

Caleb nodded. “Do you want me to fetch Monty?”

 

“Please,” Dan croaked as he reached up to lay a hand on Gavin's wrist, assuring his protective Omega that there was no threat.

 

“Right away, my king.”

 

Dan mumbled something but he Michael hushed him and went back to scrubbing the blood from his knuckles.

 

o0o

 

Dan had been laid out on the luxurious bed the moment he was dry and he moaned in relief to have such plushness under him after so long on a ship cot. Monty had arrived quickly and expressed his disapproval of the whole royal display with quiet tutting. He wasn't one lament over such passionate displays. Instead, he was quick to start the transition.

 

Dan's head was carefully lifted and Monty slid up beside him, resting the Alpha's head in his lap comfortably. He prayed with Dan to the old golds of Sparta, telling them goodbye in a flattering way and prying his fate out of their hands. Monty's fingers were silken as they traced anointing oil over Dan's lips, his cheeks, the curve of his brow – introducing to the new gods of the Realm with pretty words and a promise of future sacrifice and dedication. He'd done the same for himself, Caleb, and the Omega mates when they'd arrived. It was no different from packing all your belongings and moving rooms, each the same in their own way but with different arrangements.

 

Caleb knelt on the bed beside him and pressed all around his chest, counting the Alpha's ribs on at a time until he came to the ones that had popped. Dan groaned when they were prodded at, the sound breaking his prayer.

 

“It's separated in at least three places, maybe more,” Caleb mumbled with a pinched brow. “It's not fatal but it'll be painful, sire, I can't lie about that. I'll wrap it up but the most you can do is rest. It'll take two moon cycles to heal.”

 

“Two damn months?” Dan bit out, glaring down at the Omega with a heat he didn't really feel. Monty yanked his head back down with a seething look.

 

“Don't offend them. You're new here, they must get to know you.” Dan cringed when he got a sharp slap in the ear. “Cursing while invoking their pity and compassion is not the way to do it.”

 

“Of course,” Dan huffed.

 

o0o

 

Not for the first time, Ray marveled at how large their marital bed was. He knew it had been here long before him but he still considered it _theirs_ , not just Ryan's. Uncovered, mostly devoured dishes lay scattered over a sheet on one half of the bed while the other half was occupied by the royal couple. The trays were littered with chocolate covered fruits, candied meats, and once-warm rolls drizzled in icing.

 

Ryan was spooned up behind him, kissing his neck and nuzzling his hair while his hand lovingly pet over the boy's taut belly. He'd personally stuffed his queen's hungry mouth until he'd become this mewling, squirmy thing in his arms. Ray was so pliant and sleepy against him, full to the point of bursting but not to be sick. It was reminiscent of their first full day of marriage where they'd hardly made it out of bed for more than to relieve themselves or to drape themselves in furs in front of the fireplace when the chill of the night had set in. If he closed his eyes he could still remember his Omega wrapped in the furs that belonged to one of his old kills, a necklace of beautiful teeth marks around his throat, bond bite still red and puffy, the dark fur kissing his swollen nipples and his mouth blood red from all the king's nibbling.

 

Ray was just as beautiful now, though. Bare and sleepy, purring in pure content and savoring the taste of strawberries that lingered on his tongue.

 

“No matter what happens, you're my queen,” Ryan hushed into the boy's hair, fingers tracing that fine little tummy and imagining it holding a little pup of their own instead of such decadent food. “They can burn my kingdoms to the ground, salt my fields, and take my head...but you will always be the Rose Queen. And you are staying where you belong. A Spartan pup cannot upheave you of your place.”

 

“My place is with you,” Ray murmured, eyes too heavy to open anymore. “All I've ever wanted was someone to love me like you do. Don't...don't take that away. My heart will break.”

 

“My sweetest Omega.” Ryan's heart threatened to sink into his stomach and he scented desperately at the boy's throat, lapping at it in tiny strokes. “My _everything_. Forgive me for making you feel this way.”

“You didn't mean to, my king.” Ray stroked over the man's hand leaned into his mouth, sinking into the waiting grasp of slumber. “My Ryan.”

 

o0o

 

Dan's chest and ribs were wrapped tightly and two heavy, herbal mugs of tea were poured into his belly. It soothed even his deepest of rib pain. Michael and Gavin had settled on each side of him, one armor-calloused hand and one butter soft one, fruit and spring, lush and fresh – his mirror boys, his pair of mates, his best friends, his most trusted. They scented with him and made him feel at ease. They told him the story of the Rose Queen, the unpresented son of the Royal Gardener who grew into a lush omega queen by winning the king's heart only by loving him for who he really was. The Rose of the Realm gentling the Mad King like it was out of a fairytale.

 

Gavin babbled about the royal garden and their variety, the flora life that had been cultivated by Ray's own small hands. Michael talked about the training field and how different it was from that of Sparta. It was more diverse and he was learning how to properly sharpen a sword and mend this metal armor. He had big dreams of dressing the king for battle as he had done for Dan, offer his ebony blade sharpened and ready for use.

 

Monty paused in his task of scratching out a letter by candlelight. He was composing a rough draft for Dan to rewrite in his own hand, the one that would be sent to Sparta herself. “Hush. Our king needs his sleep and your chatter will only cut through the efforts of the tea.”

 

“I'm not your king anymore,” Dan breathed out, lashes too low to show off even a sliver of his eyes. “Just another member of the court.”

 

“Our king made a prince,” Michael hushed, though he wasn't exactly happy about the fact. “The Wolf Prince.”

 

“Puppy,” Dan muttered with only a tiny amount by bitterness. “He called me a _puppy_.”

 

“He can be a bastard,” Michael cursed under his breath.

 

Dan's chest rose in a deep breath that stung his lungs in prickles. “He's magnificent.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

Dan saw no one but his Omega boys for day (and the lovely Lindsay who seemed immune to his charms). The day Caleb stated that he'd be able to walk around again, the boy repeated his findings back to the King.

 

He received a visit within just a few hours of being awake.

 

Dan was still in just his sleep pants when the knock echoed through the room, the door opening a moment later. His chest was still bound and each breath came rather shallow but he still tried to sit up as the Head of the King’s Guard came in. Dan thought he was being summoned until he saw Haywood trailing behind him, the king gesturing for Burnie to stand by the door. The other Alpha seemed uncertain at first but quickly put on a neutral mask and moved to stand guard.

 

“How do you feel?” Ryan asked mildly as he approached the bed, looking him over.

 

“Fine, sire,” Dan assured him as he sat up fully, hand braced on his chest to try and ease the pressure there.

 

“Do not exhaust yourself today, tomorrow is your anointment into my court,” Ryan stated as he moved around to stand close to the edge near the station Caleb had set up. He took a skin of wine off his belt and held it out. “It’s one of my favorites. For your spirits.” Dan carefully took it and the king nodded. “The worse it over.”

 

“Is that true, sire?” Dan inquired as he popped the cork and took a grateful swig, moaning at the sweet taste.

 

“You’ve braved your poisoned councilmen, the sea, my sword…and now you’re safe,” the older Alpha rattled off. “You’re under my protection.”

 

“The protection of King Haywood,” Dan marveled before he took another swig, lips stained with the lush drink.

 

“Yes.” There was a dark gleam in the man’s eyes. “Though I’m surprised you didn’t say the Mad King.”

 

Dan pulled off the flask with a rough gasp. “I’ve heard the rumors and tales of you but I’ve never believed them. I cannot create monsters out of whispers when there are so many more very real beasts to battle.”

 

A glitter came to those bright eyes and Dan nearly looked away but his chin was caught, head turned back.

 

“Brilliant boy.” Ryan peeled back the bandage from his cheek and the adhesive stuck to his skin, pulling a little to make him wince. The healing cut was exposed to the air and it strangely felt good. “With a bit of fine-tuning you truly would have all the makings of a king.”

 

“Do you truly believe that?” Dan inquired as he watched the older Alpha removed his rings and laid them in a small bowl on the healing station. He washed his hands in the fresh water there, cleaning his knuckles as he hummed in answer.

 

“Though you fell into the trap of your councilmen, it was an easy one to stumble into,” Haywood assured him as he took up a jar of ointment and a new small square of bandage. “Sit at the edge of the bed.”

 

Dan obeyed with several huffed breaths and swung his legs over the edge, the faintest sheen of sweat on his brow. The pain was still there and he couldn’t wait to take in more of Caleb’s tea. Even with the rest he’d gained from the past week the injury was still severe. He was still trying to properly catch his breath when he was hit with a shock of surprise.

 

Haywood knelt down between his legs and if his chest hadn’t throbbed in protest he would have crawled away. The king dipped his fingers in the ointment and leaned in, covered digits touching over the cut on Dan’s cheek that kissed at the bridge of his nose.

 

“Tomorrow will be eventful,” Ryan began as he carefully applied the ointment. “You’ll be dressed in my colors and be paraded before the court to recite our agreement. You shall sign both royal copies of the contract, one for us and one for your council. That contract and the letter in your own writing will be sent with a royal messenger on the ship you arrived on, which shall be well supplied for their trouble. If I learn harm has come to him, your council will be informed that my wrath shall be swift.” Despite his hardened words, the king’s hands were tender as he applied the fresh bandage. He smoothed it down, the natural adhesive Caleb had soaked the bandages in letting it stick once it met the ointment. Once it was in place, the king’s lips twitched up in a hint of a smile. “There we go.”

 

“What will become of me?” Dan forced himself to ask, brows drawn heavily over his eyes. “If you’re going to kill me, I would rather you not do it in front of my boys. Letting us enjoy each other like this would only deepen their heartache when you dispose of me.”

 

Dan’s chin was snatched again by strong, damp fingers but this time with much more force. Haywood stood and leaned over him, the mattress creaking loudly as the king’s knee braced on the bit of mattress between his legs. Dan dropped back on his elbows and could only stare with wide eyes as the older Alpha’s body heat poured onto him, butter warm scent radiating off him and filling the Spartan’s nose.

 

Haywood’s growl made him shiver. “If I wanted you dead, Alpha-pup, my queen would be supping your freshly drained blood from a wine glass.”

 

Dan swallowed loudly at the image but his terrified stare only seemed to agitate the king. Ryan’s lip drew back in a snarl and he surged forward. Dan whined as those fangs came close and he turned his head away, eyes clenched shut. He couldn’t fight like this. He was exhausted, weakened from his submissive end in their duel, and if the king wanted to do away with him now there would be little he could do. Haywood was skilled, swollen in his prime, and he had a trained Alpha guard with him.

 

Breath washed over his neck, a nose skimming the flesh before sniffing lightly. He was being scented by an Alpha _King_ and the implication made his arms shake. They gave out and he dropped onto the bed with a weak grunt. Haywood hovered over him briefly, studying him, and then he moved away. His rings were scooped up and he put them on with a methodical ease, barely more than glancing back.

 

“I hope you sleep well through the night, Daniel,” Ryan offered casually. “You’ll need it.”

 

o0o

 

Gavin and Michael helped Dan out of bed the next morning and helped him get dressed. He was given a leather tunic dyed a deep red, nearly black, and dark leggings covered up by elegant boots that went up past his knee. He was accented in silver to represent the queen, his thick belt and simple rings, and a simple silver rose pendant was clipped to his breast over his heart.

 

“I’m nervous,” Dan admitted as he watched Michael easily latch the pendant in place.

 

“There’s no reason to be,” Gavin assured him. He leaned up and put his lips to the Spartan’s ear. “The queen asked about your well-being this morning. He’s worried that his brute of a husband hurt you too greatly.”

 

“Don’t talk about the king like that,” Dan snapped with a sharp pinch to the boy’s shoulder.

 

Gavin laughed despite the slight pain. “His words, not mine.”

 

“The queen is not as delicate as he appears.”

 

The Spartan smiled to himself and let Michael clip a heavy silver necklace around his neck, pale fingers fixing it until it sat in the middle of his chest. “I suppose not.”

o0o

 

Every invited member of the court had shown up in their very best to see the fate of the Wolf King. As Dan walked the length of the hall between the split crowd he felt very much like a prized horse being shown off. Haywood’s smug smile didn’t exactly cure that heaviness. The royal couple were in their thrones, the king forgoing his crown while the queen wore his proudly, silver vines twining in his dark hair while a brilliant ruby laid on his brow.

 

An elegant wooden stand had been placed on the lowest tier of the dais. Dan was directed to stand beside it alone, his Omega mates taken from him to side beside the queen in low, comfortable seats. It was a small relief to when Ramsey, one of Haywood’s favored, came up to stand on the other side to read out the proclamation.

 

The crowd became increasingly surprised as they were informed that “Daniel of Sparta” would be staying in their kingdom as a royal charge for the next full year, and that he would be treated with all the respect of a noble. Dan could almost feel the shackles closing in as every condition was read out loud. The rules, the threat of war if they were breached, and the final _clink_ of the invisible chains came when Ramsey read aloud that he would remain chaste during his stay unless he gained _explicit_ permission from the king himself.

 

Dan turned at the final demand, gaping at the royal couple in disbelief. Gavin was fiddling nervously with his hands and Michael couldn’t meet his eyes, the Omegas clearly having told the queen of their times in bed.

 

Ryan rose from his throne called for a protest. Dan sighed and turned back to the crowd, face schooled into a calm expression. There were no words against the decision, at least none that would be voiced. Haywood took his queen’s hand and they walked down the dais, the young Omega a little confused as to why he was being involved.

 

“He shall be treated like a prince,” Ryan announced as he stood by the Spartan, Ray so delicate and beautiful beside him. “The only command he will obey will be mine. Mine, and that of my queen’s, for Daniel shall become the Rose Queen’s personal guard.”

 

Ray and Dan’s mouths dropped open in almost comical unison. Ryan kissed the Omega’s hand before releasing it, instead clapping one on the Spartan’s shoulder. “To prove the trust I have in my new charge, to solidify our alliance, I shall give him guardianship over the most precious thing in the entirety of my kingdoms.”

 

The ladies in the crowd fluttered their fans and their lashes, swooning at the romantic proposition. The romance between the royal couple was one revered and treasured by the Realm. The men in the crowd cast a fond eye upon the queen and his graceful throat, the line of his collar, and at the strong Spartan as well. They each had dark, soft hair and pink, shapely mouths and it was like the whole room fell in love to see them standing on each side of the king.

 

“Me? As his personal guard?” Dan breathed in disbelief. “Sire, please, I’m…I don’t think…”

 

Ryan raised an eyebrow but he didn’t say anything. HE didn’t have to.

 

“Daniel of Sparta, Wolf King, Son of Iamos, Head of All Councils, Breaker of Chains…do you agree to this?” Geoff drawled expectantly, a little irked at being interrupted when he was given the boring task in the first place.

 

Daniel took up the quill and dipped it in ink, scratching out his full name upon both the contracts that rested on the high wooden table. The signature didn’t have a chance to dry before he dropped to his knees in front of the royal couple. A few Omegas in the room gasped, the first hint of their aroused musk curling through the room at the sight of such a handsome Alpha in front of their monarchs.

 

“My king,” Dan bowed his head. He offered his hand out and Ray took it with very little hesitance, their palms laying in a way that strangely fit. Dan kissed his ring, the edges of the Haywood seal curving his lips briefly. “My queen.”

 

“Daniel.” Ray smiled with all the grace of his station and ran his thumb along the side of the man’s hand. “Welcome to the Realm.”

 


	19. Question for Readers - Original Character (NOT AN UPDATE)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new storyline and a new co-author - MaskedEmono makes a comeback!

Dear lovely and beautiful readers,

Forgive me, this isn't an update. Instead, I have a question for you guys. MaskedPlayer has carved a beautiful and wonderful storyline for an Original Character, the mysterious being only known as "Thief" who Ray grows to adore, Dan grows jealous of, and Ryan thinks is fascinating. He's a beautiful character and the author is very talented, as you  may have seen from our story "Versatile". 

I want to assure you guys right away that this doesn't mean I'm giving up this story, or that my plotline will change. This story arc would be like "Lord Ryan" or "Dan the Wolf King", an arc that only MaskedPlayer would be writing. I've read through it and I think it's brilliant stuff, and that he portrays all the characters I've developed rather beautifully. MaskedPlayer loves this fic as much as I do and I trust him very much to handle this storyline with respect and to help me expand on the world, to give you guys more content and more of the interactions you love. And with our styles being similar, I don't think our back-and-forth would be visually jarring or would interrupt/hurt the flow of this fic.

So I want to feel the pulse - what do you think? Would you be okay with this? Would this be something you like to see along with the main parts of the story?

I would love to hear from you, and so would [MaskedPlayer](http://gayvinz.tumblr.com/). Maybe leave a comment or message one of us on tumblr, tell us how you feel. If you'd like to learn more about Thief, MaskedPlayer is super open to being messaged/asked about them and will answer all questions to the best of his ability without spoiling storylines. There's nothing wrong with expressing doubts as long as you do it with respect for two authors who love this community and this fandom.

If you're not okay with writing it out, please feel free to [take the quick poll](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11pkJ5pS-L-4NpYONb-vEtczrEXg6jB4b6ziZx2SvXmQ/viewform?usp=send_form) instead :)

 

Love and Rockets,  
[Emo](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/)

 

 

 


	20. The Thief I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A stranger kicks up all manner of panic within the castle. There's very few things that unnerve the king, but a thief coming into his abode is certainly one of them. Whether this man is friend or foe has yet to be seen; either way, he's struck the curiosity of the royal couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Emono: I want you guys to give a warm welcome to “Thief”, a great love of mine that has completely stolen my heart. It’s such a big thrill for you guys to finally see him, to get to know him like I have. Now, again, I understand an OC isn’t exactly a favorite move but I truly hope you guys will be the wonderful readers you always have been and will be polite to MaskedPlayer and Thief whether you agree with this choices or not. Thief will stay in his arc and it will be plainly marked, and we’ve both read all your replies and we know your opinions and we greatly respect them. But Thief is now officially here to stay and if you don’t want that (again, I understand) then I advise you to wait for my next update.**
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> **Masked/Gayvinz: I can honestly say I'm nervous. The thief is a character I've been working on for better part of a year and it's an honor to introduce them to you. I do so hope that my addition to this pleases as many of you as possible. I'm the biggest fan of this AU and this is my favorite fiction in the Ragehappy fandom; I can't even start to tell you how happy I am to be here. Critique is welcome and I'd love to hear what you have to say. Thank you all so much for your compliments and notes of encouragement.**

Despite his title as “mad”, Ryan rarely shot the messenger. Especially if it was one in his own court, telling him that their inner-castle bank had been raided. However, he was not pleased. He leaned on his fist, his knees spread wide in a lazy sprawl, but his jaw was tight and his feet planted firmly, ready to shoot up from his seat at any second.

 

“So,” he began, when Burnie finished explaining the situation. “You're telling me a - random, at that - thief, not only broke into my castle,” He cleared his throat, casting a glance to his Queen, who was sitting with his hands in his lap primly and his back straight. “Where my wife and I _sleep_ ,” He added, “But also made it down to one of the most guarded areas therein?”

 

“Y...Yes,” Burnie rasped, face pale. “Sire, we - you were never in danger, your guards never stopped their watch, I assure you-” He was silenced by one, glittering hand that swept across thin air, sucking all of the objections out of him.

 

“Do not try and cover for others in your guard. After the assassination attempt on my wife, we all know the measures you've taken to prevent it.” He glanced toward Michael, the stockier Omega looking truly lovely armed to the teeth, to protect his Queen. “That doesn't change the fact that we are now short-”

 

“The thief only took iron, no gold, sire,” Burnie blustered. The news was welcome, but he still interrupted his King, who gave him a hardened glare. The other Alpha withered, dropping his gaze. He was given a low growl as permission to continue. “All...all that is missing is iron, sire. I had my men spend all night taking inventory of the treasury, and all the gold and precious gems remain; even the silver is left. It is only iron.”

 

“Curious,” Ryan intoned, now more interested than angry. “And they had access to all of it, correct?”

 

“In order for them to get to some of the pieces stolen - platters, old decorated pieces of armor - they had to dig it out. From _under_ some of the gold.” Ray's eyes were glittering at this point, this odd mystery intriguing him greatly. He'd only been to the treasury once or twice. It was a deep, sub-level section of the castle, almost like catacombs, filled with mountains of coins, silver platters, golden goblets and crowns of overthrown kings. There was armor that had been given to Ryan as gifts that he had no interest in wearing, nothing of sentimental value.

 

Ryan leaned up from his slouch, his anger ebbing away. “And you were not able to catch sight of this - _thief_?” He expressed. Burnie shook his head.

 

“No, sire. We heard them, but they were--” He struggled to find words, “Enigmatic.” He finally settled on. “It was as if he could evade our sights completely. Some guards reported hearing running, rattling of the stolen goods, but no one saw a soul.”

 

This rose concern from them, for clear reasons.

 

“Whoever it is,” Ray cut in, surprising the court. “They don't seem interested in our blood, husband.” He reached across the junction of their thrones, placing his much smaller hand across the wide back of his husband's palm. “Perhaps, if we set a trap...”

 

“You very badly want to see this bandit, don't you?” Ryan questioned, but he had a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

 

“Well, and to have our minds at rest,” Ray defended, cheeks coloring. “But, yes... I am itching to know who could evade our guards in such a way.”

 

~

 

The trap was set, with the help of - well, shockingly, _Gavin_. Gavin seemed to have a knack for it, setting up triggers and thick plates that would set off a chain reaction. It took a while, what with needing to tear apart part of the hallway, but within two days it was set. If anyone who didn't know the trap was there walked down the hall toward the vault, they would step on the hidden trigger and be dropped down into a pit of sand, deep enough to be impossible to hop or climb out of.

 

“You're a deviant,” Ray chided playfully, when he saw the setup in motion for testing. Michael was bellowing like a beast down in the pit, unharmed but furious he'd been the test subject, even though he'd agreed. Gavin was laughing, watching Dan lay on his stomach so Michael could grab his arm and be hoisted out of the trap. “But it's very useful. Should we ever go to war, I know who's going to be tightening up the entrances of the castle.” He said, petting the sandy Omega hair. Gavin chittered warmly, though the prospect of war made his eyes go wide.

 

With the trap set it was only a matter of waiting. After a week, they were beginning to suspect the thief had either caught wind of their plans or had merely gotten all they wanted in their first attempt. Blaine, the man who was guarding the vault, was almost glad when he heard the trap go off down the hall, and a yell of a voice he didn't recognize. With a torch in hand, he dashed up the hall, standing over the pit - only to discover nothing inside. “What the-”

 

Blaine recoiled slightly when he noticed the movement below. The sand had an unnatural depression to it, writhing as if someone were within it. The thief - they were _invisible_ \- but the fine grains gave them away as they took their body and clothes. The fell off and gave the peculiar illusion of floating particles, leaving a trail of dust behind like a creature of lore. Once he squinted and took a step forward he could see the faint traces of white smoke coming off the supposed “thin air”. Blaine blinked several times, thinking he’d gone mad, but there were noises. Grunting from this creature, for whether man or beast he could not tell, could be heard when they hit the sand with every failed jump and he _knew_ . The young knight jumped to action when he heard the creature  scrambling, the  _taptaptap_ of feet against the wall before the sharp _slap_ of hand on stone - truly, it was a person, and they were nearly out!

  
Blaine skirted around the trap and closed it once more, locking the thief inside. Once he was sure it was secure, he bolted at top speed down to the barracks where the soldiers slept in shifts.  This could not wait one more moment.

 

“Burnie! Burnie! _Burnie_!” Blaine's voice was hysterical, waking up the head guard.

 

“What? What is it? Gods,” The Alpha groaned, nearly smacking his head on Blaine's armor from snapping up.

 

“We caught - something?” the young man whispered. “The thief, I think.”

 

“You _think_ ,” Burnie said, incredulous. “Are you certain? You didn't catch one of the cooking staff coming to feed you in the night, did you?” He said, earning a low whine from the younger man, doe eyes darting away. “Yeah, I know about your affair with the kitchen staff,” He added with a growl, but he was already getting up and dressed. Blaine was explaining to him in rushed whispers, but Geoff was already roused and slouching off to wake up their King; who wasn't sleeping anyway.

 

When Ryan finally came to the door his cheeks were mildly pink, and his Omega was on the bed in naught but a thin robe and a deep flush. Ryan was wearing his armor, but it had been sloppily applied. Only because Geoff had drawled through the door the situation had Ryan not come out ready to throttle him. Ray was starting to get up and go get his Omegas, to be dressed to see how it all played out.

 

By the time Ryan made it down to the hallway where the stranger was trapped, Ray had dressed and was on his heels, having taken a back way to catch up. Gavin was squeaking behind them as the trap was triggered so it could open again, revealing the form below.

 

“Well, Blaine, he's certainly not invisible,” Geoff commented, staring down into the pit. The thief sprung up and instantly went to try and bounce off the walls to climb out again, but Michael was already at Ryan's side with a sword. The thief's eyes were bright, _glowing_ , and dark blue smoke was coming off of him, from the corners of his eyes, and along his flesh. He - _it_ , perhaps - yelped, scrambling back against the far wall and staring up at them. Ray gasped, only able to see _eyes_ from between the mask and hood that covered the stranger's face; but they had a rather shapeless outfit of shawls, of various colors.

 

Ryan's expression steeled over, but his heart was hammering. He recognized those effects, but it was still a baffling thing to witness. The captive took up a defensive stance, reaching into the robes with a glare; an iron sword hung loosely at the hip, inexperience clear. Ryan reached an arm out, pushing Ray and Gavin back defensively.

 

“Ryan, what-” Ray began to object, but the shattering of glass and the splatter of thick, green fluid cut him off. The thief had yanked something from their clothes and hurled it in the direction of Geoff, Blaine, and Michael. Michael got the brunt of the splatter but some of it made it all the way to Ryan's bare calves. Dan was caught in the crossfire when he tried to block it from getting to the Omegan soldier.

 

“What... is...” Michael began, feeling his limbs go heavy and his form become tight, sluggish, as if being held by arms that refused to let him move. Ryan snarled as he was soon put under the effects of the potion, but he let out a furious shout when the thief hopped from one wall to the other to successfully escape the pit. “Sto—STOP!” The tiny warrior Omega shouted, breaking out in a run; only to not move much faster than a walk.

 

“What's wrong?! What happened to you?!” Gavin was shouting, not caring that the perpetrator was getting away. Ray's face went red and he tore after, his husband's slow movements allowing him to evade the grasping hand.

 

“ _ **Ray** _ **!”**

 

The roar from the King was laced with concern and _worry_ , but all the Omega could think of was how _angry_ he was a the assault on his husband and close friends.

 

Luckily, Burnie was at the end of the hall, the thin form of the thief crashing into him when rounding a corner and toppling to the floor. Burnie had his guards with him, and soon overtook the stranger, despite his struggles. The smoke was still coming off him, but now there was also paler smoke curling up out of his robes. “He - he threw something, it made them...all slow,” Ray was panting, trying to explain.

 

Gavin trotted up before the Queen could utter anything more, carefully checking him. “Ryan - the King says that it's fine, it's not poison and it'll go away soon - faster, if they drink some milk. It'll take them a while to make it out, so-”

 

“We'll go fetch some,” Ray gasped, glaring over his shoulder as the thief was being dragged away to the dungeons by Burnie and his soldiers. Those glowing ember eyes watched him as they were dragged around the corner, staring into him with intensity, but zero anger.

 

A half hour later, Michael, Geoff, Ryan, Dan and Blaine were sitting around a small table in one of the smaller dining rooms. They had nursed large jugs of thick, fresh milk and the tiny bits of smoke easing off their bodies ebbed away. Michael took the longest, but by now he was puffing out the last of the faintly green miasma.

 

“So...” The warrior began. “Are you gonna kill him?” He coughed with a wince, the smoke burning his throat.

 

Ryan's shoulders went tense. “I don't know.” He answered, earning a surprised grunt. “Not until I question them.”

 

“He didn't seem like he wanted to... _hurt_ anyone,” Ray whispered. Ryan's hand reached out to carefully cup over his husband's, squeezing it and lightly scenting his hair. The Queen leaned against the touch with closed eyes.

 

“Ever the forgiving, patient Queen,” Ryan murmured. “Still, I want to _know_ more.”

 

“Burnie reports an odd scent coming from him,” Geoff said.

 

“That could be from all that _nasty_ stuff he's got,” Gavin said, nose scrunching. “ 'E had all sorts of stuff on 'im, so many little bottles.” He rose his shoulders in an animated shrug.

 

“Well, that, but-” Geoff searched for words. “Forget it. You'll see what he means, I guess. I don't remember how he described it.”

 

Ryan slowly stood, flexing his hands and watching how they moved at normal speed again. “For now,” He hummed. “Rest. This apothecary stranger isn't going anywhere. Those potions they had are all in our custody now,” He narrowed his eyes. “We'll evaluate in the morning.”

 

“He's being guarded, right?” Michael muttered, expression sour.

 

“Of course.” Was all the King said, before he took his wife's hand and lead him back to their chambers. Neither of them were truly in the mood to continue what had been interrupted, but Ray couldn't keep his hands off his husband.

 

“I thought he hurt you,” He mumbled, sliding his hands up his bare chest, leaning up to kiss him firmly. “I thought... I don't know.”

 

Ryan laughed, delicately wrapping his hands around those tiny wrists. “What would you have done if you caught him?” He teased.

 

“I...don't know. Yell at him, and kick him a lot,” Ray managed, smile tugging at his lips as he was dragged down for another kiss.  

 

The next morning was uneventful. The King and Queen both rose and did their usual morning routines; Ray lounging in bed with their Hound, the man having been invited in to rouse him. Dan would nose against the young man's throat, trying to convince him and sweet-talk him into getting out of bed, while Ryan dressed himself. It was lazy and comfortable, commonplace. At the back of their minds was the thief and the strange potions, but it came up over breakfast.

 

“How did that stuff make you feel?” Gavin was needling Michael, both sitting at a smaller table. “Sick? It looked so,”

 

“It just made me feel heavy,” Michael sighed, sipping some hot beverage; tea made by their Queen. “Like... I don't know, I can't really describe it.” He frowned at his mate when he whined.

 

“It was sort of like trying to move through syrup,” Ryan cut in, allowing Michael a bit of grace. “Or trying to run in water; like my limbs were dragging but there was nothing around me to hold them.”

 

“Yeah,” Michael agreed sleepily. “That.”

 

The rest of breakfast was mostly in silence, then the Omegas helped their Queen get fully dressed. Ryan didn't commonly need help, but Dan was there regardless, happily handing him clothes or armor; they were both getting ready to hold court first thing in the morning, before all other appointments of the day; for the thief.

 

They were situated in their thrones when he was dragged in; flanked by six guards and bound by chains, they'd removed his clothing and replaced it with simple pants and no shirt. They didn't trust him at all, but they allowed him to keep his gloves. The yellow in his eyes had long gone, revealing two doe-like orbs of brown. Ray was surprised, he'd half expected that glow to be there still.

 

“Did he give you trouble?” Ryan questioned, eyes darting over the narrow body that stood before him. His wrists were tightly pressed together by the chains, and his face, now revealed from the masks, hardly looked like a hardened assassin or thief. He had soft, effeminate features, large eyes and a gently curved face; short, midnight black hair and deeply dark colored flesh.

 

“A little,” Burnie admitted, “But once we stripped him he realized it was best to cooperate.”

 

“You, Thief,” Ryan finally addressed the stranger directly. “What is your name?” He was met with a blank stare; not out of defiance, but from a literal loss. “Your...name? Do you not know your own name?”

 

“Thief,” Was all he got in reply; the stranger lifted a gloved hand, pointing at himself. “I'm Thief.”

 

“That's what you _are_ , yes,” Ryan said, irritation clear, “But what is your _name?_ ”

 

“We already tried, sire,” Burnie cut in, before the King got cross from the start. “He doesn't seem to have one at all; in fact he doesn't really understand the concept, I guess. He said something about sheep.”

 

“Sheep are sheep,” Thief explained, sounding exasperated. “One sheep or twenty sheep, they are all just sheep. One sheep is not called something different from another, they are all 'sheep'. Black sheep, white sheep, but still sheep. You, are people, like me. And I, am a Thief. Like a white sheep to a brown sheep.”

 

Ray was sort of shocked by the voice that came from such a pretty face. It was deep and rolling, coming from a wide barreled chest, but still soft spoken. The stranger rang of Omega, but his stance and pitch of his voice radiated Alpha. From here, he couldn't scent him and had no idea what rank he was, but found himself slightly curious. Across the hall he couldn't even see the man's fangs to help with identifying. Still, his speech was... _odd_ , and he couldn't help but laugh gently behind his hand. “Well, he's not wrong,” He offered, glittering eyes casting to his husband.

 

“Where are you from?” Ryan pressed, feeling like that may be where the answers lie.

 

“Not here,” Thief replied unhelpfully. Ryan's irritated expression compelled more from him, though. “Away from here, in the woods.” He frowned. “Forest. No people, just me.” He tilted his head to look around the massive hall. “Is this place a temple?”

 

“No,” Ray said helpfully, by now more scrutinizing than annoyed, whereas Ryan looked about ready to strike at something. “Does it look like one?”

 

“It's big,” The stranger replied, “Like a temple. But not all broken down like one.” His eyes roved over the high ceilings and stained glass windows. “I thought this is what they looked like when people used them.”

 

Ryan slouched a little, some of his anger ebbing away with curiosity now. “There are abandoned temples from the old kingdoms all around my forests,” He admitted. “They're overgrown and haven't been prayed at in centuries.”

 

“Yes, those. They have treasure in them,” Thief said, eyes going bright. Ray didn't really understand, but Ryan sat upright again, almost stiff.

 

“You raid the old temples?” He asked. The Queen glanced at his husband, wondering the significance there. “Aren't many of them laid with traps, to ward off exactly that?”

 

“Yes,” The stranger said quickly. “Arrows. It's easy to avoid.” A shrug. “Then, there's treasure. Sometimes old leather, books, gold, iron.” His eyes darted around at the brilliant tapestries, at the shimmering and polished marble. “Sometimes old weapons.”

 

“I see. Is that what you were hoping for when you robbed me?” Ryan's voice dropped to a colder, angrier tone. The room's entire atmosphere changed, and the Thief shifted uncomfortably. He made eye contact with the King, having no idea the _challenge_ behind such an action, as shown by the fear in his eyes. Ryan's first reaction was to _pounce,_ furiously rise to the primal beat of his heart. His stance was being insulted, in front of his mate- but Ray's soft hand on his arm stopped the fire in his belly, made him see clearly through his haze and spy the lack of any true knowledge of the action in that face.

 

“I-- Yes,” Thief whispered. “At first, yes. I came for food, iron. Supplies. I came back for gold, clothes…” He fluttered both hands. There wasn’t greed passing his features, but desperation. “Enough to buy things.” The tiny, narrow chest sucked in sharply. “It wasn’t hurting anyone. You have so much!

 

“But it is _mine_ ,” Ryan rumbled, a growl ebbing into his throat. A much lighter growl came from the stranger, rattling through his words.

 

“If I hadn't been seen you wouldn't have noticed!” It was almost a yip, a tiny Omegan growl lacing his words. A guard clapped a hand on his shoulder, angrily trying to tell him not to talk to the _king_ that way, and a much deeper snarl ripped from the dark chest of the thief. His head snapped toward the guard, teeth barred and animalistic snarl breaking the silence from his outburst.

 

Ryan's boots scraped loudly against the floor as he dragged his feet across it, making everyone in the room go on high alert. “You have a sharp tongue for a _thief_ ,” He spat, fingers curling against the arms of the chair. He watched as the stranger snapped at the guards who had hands on him, feeling his chest get hot at how they recoiled. “What is this? Surely you don't fear a little nip from this pup,” The King seethed; the man couldn't be any older than Ray or Dan, he was certain.

 

“He already drew blood last night on Burns,” One of the guardsmen said meekly. Burnie removed a gauntlet and showed where he had a bandage on his hand.

 

“From his teeth? Are there any broken or crushed bones?” Ray whispered, suddenly worried. Humans couldn't break skin like that, not even Alphas, without serious damage caused by the blunt, grinding teeth they possessed.

 

“No, no bones; just two little punctures.” Ryan leaned forward in his chair, legs spread wide.

 

“Bring him to me.” The order was short and held zero room for argument. The guards dragged the thief toward the thrones, walking him up the steps until he was in front of Ryan, forcing him to his knees. The King reached with one hand, grabbing his jaw, pressing his thumb and pointer finger against his cheeks. “Open up.” He growled warningly.

 

The Thief did so, fear clear and all the aggression from before seemingly gone. Ryan inspected the stranger's teeth, and Ray couldn't help but lean over to get a glance too. Thief's eyes darted over to Ray, before going back to Ryan. “They're so sharp...”

 

“And small, for an Alpha,” Ryan said. “But too large for an Omega.” His brows creased, forcing the strange man to tilt his head so he could take a look at his glinting fangs. For someone living out in the forest, his teeth were clean; actually, they were white. Ryan thought of his hunting hounds and how they gnawed bones to keep their teeth strong and spotless. He daringly dipped his thumb into the stranger's pink mouth, intentionally pricking his finger on one of the fangs.

 

“Ryan!” Ray gasped, watching the dot of blood well up from it.

 

“Like needles,” Ryan commented idly, lapping the speck from his thumb and letting the man's mouth click closed. It was like looking at an old anatomy sketch. The young man had powerful, viciously sharp teeth meant for ripping and slicing through flesh; the type of fangs humans like himself had long evolved from with softer food and utensils for smaller bites. “How interesting.”

 

Burnie couldn't read his King and it made him anxious. “Sire...?”

 

“What was it you were saying, about his scent?” The King said, almost lazily. He held no anger in his eyes, no light of sadism there that would have signified a horrible end for the thief.

 

“He's...it's hard to describe,” Burnie hummed. “He sort of...smells like both,” He said with a shrug. Ryan's brows show up. “I mean - I don't really know, I've never - I tried scenting him, because he doesn't know his rank-”

 

“What?” Ray cut in, voice incredulous. “How can he not know his _rank?_ Isn't...I-” He looked bewildered. “Thief - are you an Omega, like myself?” He gestured to his husband. “Or an Alpha, like our King? Perhaps a Beta, like Sir Blaine?”

 

The stranger just stared at him, on his knees and half naked, bound and confused. From this closer proximity he could see he was covered in scars; some on his arms looked like fresh burns. “I don't know.” Was the final answer. “My books never told me.”

 

“How did you learn to read, exactly?” Ryan cut in, snatching the young man's attention from his husband. He wasn't going to deal with the heat of jealousy from another's eyes upon him today. “And speak? You speak clear as day, and you mention books.”

 

“They told me.” He said. “The books,” Was the only clarification. “Sometimes, when I find them, in temples. They _glow_. They tell me things, when I open them, they taught me many things.”

 

“You're insane,” Michael snapped, unable to stop himself.

 

“Completely mental,” Gavin agreed; both were hovering behind their queen's throne.

 

Thief looked down, anger crumpling his features, but not aggression. “Glowing books that talk,” Ryan said. “Quite a claim.”

 

“I can bring some to you!” Came the hoarse shout. “You'll see! They'll tell you, they'll-”

 

“They'll tell me you're not lying?” Ryan teased.

 

“No.” Thief said bluntly, actually shocking them. “They don't talk like that. They only say what's in them. A book about bows and arrows will only tell you about bows and arrows. A book about how to protect against fire will tell you only that. It doesn't change. It never changes.” He sagged against the chains. “They don't _talk_ ,” He added, almost in a childish tone. “I said they _tell_ me things. They don't talk. They just...” His hands clenched, as if trying to collect the words from thin air. “They just put what's written in my head.”

 

Ryan's brows shot up, unable to hide his laughter. “Clearly all of those concoctions you've made have poisoned your mind. Perhaps you had a teacher but you've drunk their memory away.” His tone was mocking, but he hadn't leaned back in his throne yet; still leaning forward to get a better look at him.

 

“No!” The thief cried. “I'm - _no_! I can bring you the books, then you'll see-”

 

“Sounds like a mere excuse to plan an escape,” The King drawled, starting to lose interest.

 

“Just let me go! You've no reason to keep me!” Came the borderline hysterical screech from the young man, whose chest was heaving, and heart hammering in alarm.

 

“That's where you're wrong. You broke into my home and you stole what belonged to me...normally, thieves of your caliber are strung up outside the city gates.” The fear in those eyes was delicious, pupils going small. “So,” Ryan continued, changing the subject and letting that horrible fate hang in the air. He heard his queen suck in a small breath at it, but didn't glance his way. “Your books told you much, it seems. Do you know who I am?”

 

“No,” Thief whispered tensely. “Human, like me,” Was mumbled shortly after.

 

“That's true, to an extent. Tell me, if you are a human who is also a thief, what do you think my secondary title is? Hm?” He felt a little bad, throwing the ignorance of the boy down on the floor for all to see. The dark face tilted down and those large, pretty eyes darted away. Ryan's hand came down to curl around the thief's neck. “It is _King_ . You know what a _King_ is, don't you?”

 

He squeezed along his windpipe, and for once a flicker of realization came along those brown hues. “Y—Yes,” The thief replied haltingly. “I--”

 

“I'm sure you've read many books about many kings and queens,” Ryan drawled, silencing him with a clench of his hand, listening to how he choked. “Yet you had no idea you were robbing royalty.” He narrowed his eyes. “Oh, what tales you must know, what _history_ , if you know what a king is but not who _I_ am.”

 

“Husband,” Ray whispered faintly. “Please.”

 

Ryan's gaze cut over to the young man at his side, who was looking on with begging eyes. “It appears you are in luck,” Ryan drawled after a long exchange of looks. He slowly released the man's neck, sending him into a coughing fit. “My wife seems to see potential in you; so, you are now under his mercy, not mine.” With that, the king leaned back again, sprawling out with finality. The guards turned toward Ray, but the Thief was staring at Ryan still, eyes darting all over him as if trying to obtain information from him, trying to decode.

 

Ray sat and watched the stranger. His heart was softened by his plight, by how desperate he seemed. Perhaps he _was_ mad; perhaps there wasn’t much else besides his shock value. At the same time, Ray felt something within the young man, it made his pulse rocket. He’d never been to Dorne but her blood rushed through him always. Even though he had taken his husband’s name and colors happily, his motherland was always prevalent. There was something about this stranger, something deep within his blood and his brain, that reminded him of a home he’d never even been to.

 

The queen found himself ridiculously drawn. He wanted to _know_ , he wanted to learn what all of these claims meant. What knowledge lie in the folds of that mind? What uses could an apothecary be? Truly he was adept at it, slinging and chugging potions while being trapped, being chased. If anything he could be useful to their armies, to their cause.

 

The pregnant pause was met with silence throughout the room. Thief hadn’t yet stared at Ray, only at Ryan. A warm hand on his thigh jolted the Omega from his musing, turning those dark eyes to his husband. “Hm?”

 

“My Queen?” Burns asked softly, “What will you have us do with him?”

 

“Clean him up,” Ray said, after a moment's pause. “Wash his clothes and return them; then make sure he is offered meals.” The queen was desperate to sit and _talk_ , he wanted to know more. Everything about this stranger was _new_ , saying things he'd never thought of before. Books that didn't need reading? That taught this man how to intake written word? The very idea was like a fantasy, and he dearly wanted it to be true.

 

“And after that, my Queen?” Burnie pressed. “Where should he be kept?”

 

“For now, in the dungeons...” He sounded truly apologetic. “Until we can gauge his trustworthy, we cannot allow him any kind of freedom.” The thief's head ducked down, finally, even though he never looked at Ray, it showed he'd been listening. “Perhaps,” Ray added, “Give him a few books to read.” Ray watched carefully the reaction of the Thief.

 

The man's head snapped up, staring at the Queen with massive eyes. “Your Grace...?” Burnie inquired.

 

“You heard me,” Ray said softly. “Let him pick some books from the library. If he's such a scholar then he should easily be able to chose from our titles.” Ryan glanced at his sweet Omega from his throne, curious as to what he was cooking up. It was a simple thing, but it would prove or disprove the claim of being able to read.

 

“Thank you,” Thief said, truthfully. It surprised many of them how genuine it was, even after being cursed to the dungeons. “Thank you.”

 

Surprisingly, once promised literature the man became incredibly agreeable. He allowed them to bathe him; he was actually very clean, just sweaty from the fighting and interrogation, but his hair was very clearly never washed with soaps before. It was a luxury they decided to give him, if only because the queen expected him to be in top condition upon the next time he saw him. The stranger lifted his arms and allowed his body to be scrubbed from top to bottom, not even flinching when he was disrobed or his genitals were carefully cleaned. The guards let the staff who helped them when they were too battle-worn to do it themselves clean the newcomer, they chattered around him as they dipped the sponges and hand clothes in the warm water.

 

“You're very quiet and well-behaved, for a prisoner,” One woman said, huffing through her nose. “And you smell-”

 

“No scenting,” Burnie huffed from the side. He had his arms crossed and watched those curious brown eyes move from face to face, as if memorizing them. The stranger was exotic and different, an enigma. He had caught the attention of the royal couple and that had spared his life - or ruined it.

 

The maids working on the young stranger were enamored with how calm he was, but as soon as they were finished he was left to dress himself again. He was only given the same pants again and nothing more. He was littered head to toe in scars, burns and slices. Some of them even looked fairly new, red and healing gashes on his arms from who knows what. The man didn't seem to be in any pain, though, so Burnie put the shackles back on him and lead him to the library.

 

“A library,” Thief breathed out the word like a hymn. “Above ground...no spiders.” He was murmuring to himself, about how it was all new, the smell of the books far different than the ones he'd seen before. The young man was drawing his fingers along the spines of the huge tomes. “Are there any about the King?”  

Burns stared at him for a long moment, unable to hide how suspicious he was. He hummed under his breath before he moved to grab a huge book. “This is about his father and him, up until just half a year ago, when he took in the Hound.” He whispered, the book thick and heavy, the man needing to strain just slightly to pick it up. The stranger's eyes lit up at it. “It's still blank to finish the rest of this year, then it will be put up with the rest of the records. Each of these is three decades of history. Our current sovereign has been our ruler for five years, and he's truly made our kingdom a wonder.”

 

“May I have that one?” The man asked, his eyes wide and practically drooling over the work in progress. Currently, the scribes weren't due to put final drafts of events into it for another few months, so Burns didn't see the harm. He passed the book to the man, who held it with ease despite the weight. He stared down at the heavy leather cover with the insignia of the house of Haywood splashed across it.

 

He couldn't open it until he was sitting in the dungeon, shuffled over to the far end. He still had his shackles on but in front of him, and set the book on his lap to open it there. Burnie stood outside for the first shift of the night, and every few minutes he would hear the clinking of chains and the flutter of paper as a page was turned.

 

By the time he left his shift halfway til morning, he glanced inside to see the stranger, three quarters of the way through the book, reading with intense delight. He seemed to suck up every word like a sponge, savoring every sweetly penned letter with reverence.

 

“Did you even sleep?” It was morning, and the thief had bags under his eyes. He didn't look tired, but he did seem exhausted and he blinked in a way that showed how sore his eyes were, reading by the candlelight that slowly gave out.

 

“A little,” He said, fanning his hand across one of the pages. “I finished, and started over... I love this book, it has such beauty in it.” He whispered, looking truly enamored. Blaine laughed softly.

 

“You really are the queen's type,” He admitted. “Come. You're being introduced to the court today.”  

 

~

 

Ryan climbed into bed with his wife, pressing against his back and sliding his fingers through the silky robe. He had retired later than Ray, who had just climbed out of his own bed to join his king in their marital bed for the night. He smelled heady of his two Omegas, their rutting, smooth cocks having left long-dried smears of desire on his hips and thighs as they ground against him. The Alpha king growled against the back of his mate's neck, the scent of three little needy Omegas setting off all manner of animal base instincts in his brain. Ray's smooth hands slid up to pet his hair, pulling Ryan in close when the Alpha tucked his chin over his shoulder.

 

“I feel we should discuss today's events, husband,” Ray teased, already jutting his hips out toward his mate, hole slick. His Omegas had prepared him for their king, Ray's decency only covered by a smooth, silken robe that was already pooling around his legs from deft hands slithering the fabric off his shoulders.

 

“Later,” Ryan grunted against the back of his ear. Ray grinned wickedly, already having planned for this.

 

Ryan was much more pliant to his queen's suggestion when they were knotted and rutting in afterglow, anyway.

 

~

 

“Ryan?” Ray mused, draped across his chest and petting his hair. The man below rumbled, opening one eye and looking at his Omega, who was still fully knotted on his lap but not nearly as exhausted as he'd hoped he'd be. _Sneaky little minx,_ Ryan thought, making a faint noise. “What do you think we should do with him?”

 

“Him...” The King had been reduced to nearly base functions, knot deep in his queen and hole clenching it to get his attention. “Ah...!” His hands came up to clutch at the young man's hips, dragging him down to grind into his hole. “Ray,” He growled it out with a warning laced therein. Ray gave a breathy laugh, color returning to his cheeks.

 

“The _Thief,_ husband,” Was the soft, teasing reply, catching the man's lips with his own. “May I truly keep him?”

 

The king chuffed in reply, laying back into the lush silks and pillows, sliding his hands around the young man's hips and back. “What will you do with him? He is not a pet, he's wild.” Ray pinched Ryan's ribs, making him jolt. “Hey!”

 

“Do not speak of him as though he's a mere _animal_ ,” Ray hissed through his tiny fangs. Ryan chuckled, petting his Omega's hair to soothe his hackles.

 

“Rest your thorns, my love. I merely am stating that he is not one to be kept. He _is_ wild, my little queen. He is from the woods, he is not a child of society but of nature. He is _feral._ There is no insult here, only truth.” He butted their foreheads together, kissing the pout from those flushed lips. “But, yes. You may do with him as you please. Keep him captive, kill him, let him go. If you need help training him--” Ray grumbled about how the man sounded like he was speaking of a common beast again, but Ryan continued, “I'm sure Dan could help you. I must admit I'm curious about him, about his rank.”

 

“I was wondering,” Ray said, derailed from his irritation. “You were closer to him, did you catch his scent?”

 

“No, he was around the guards too much, smelled like them.” Ryan said instantly. “We'll have to investigate further. I think he's an Alpha, though; maybe a Beta.” Ray shuddered as the knot inside him pulsed, causing his hole to clench around it. Ryan rutted his hips up to grind deeply into him, releasing another load deep inside his body, breeding him slow and deep. The queen sighed adoringly, pushing back against him until they were flush. That was enough discussion for now, he decided, feeling that cock in him start to twitch and show interest again, that gleam in his husband's eyes. He was in for a long night.

 

~

 

In court, there was always a crowd. The court itself was full of elders and different levels of power, all of whom had to be there for this new introduction. Even though the thief wasn't going to be in any seat of true power, like Daniel had been, he was still being inducted as one protected by the kingdom - by Ray's decree.

 

He showed up in a much different state than before. He was draped back in the shawls and clothes he had arrived in. It had been dark, Ray hadn’t seen the details of it; now he did. Colorful fabric, dyed by hand, curled around his torso and neck. The hood that had been up to cover his head was let to fall down around his shoulders, and the mask that had been pulled over his mouth and nose lay loose around his neck. His clothes were part made by hand and part stolen, it looked like, and many of the snobbier members of the court mutters between themselves about ruffians and vagabonds. Women and men, Omegas, Alphas and Betas all whispered behind their hands at the sight of him, but he didn't care for a single one of them.

 

All he could see was Ryan.

 

His demeanor had changed overnight, because he stared at the king as if he were the single most magnificent thing he'd _ever_ seen. He stumbled forward, nearly tripping on the tattered, drab pants as he was lead, flanked by two guards.

 

Thief didn't listen to what anyone said, he didn't care. Ray spoke out to the court about him, saying that despite not having a name he was now under the rule and protection of Haywood. Ryan felt those brown orbs on him the entire time, finding it amusing as he did adorable.

 

“What changed his tune, I wonder,” He hummed, leaning on the heel of his palm once Ray had finished speaking. From near the throne, a group of clerics appeared, closing in on the young man, who only then seemed to notice others around him. Even so, his eyes didn't leave Ryan, sinking down to one knee, blinking as soft hands placed sheer shawls over his shoulders and draped across the back of his neck. A wide basin was brought forth, full to the brim with warm water and littered with rose petals. They poured it in small bursts over the man's back and chest, letting it seep into his skin as they murmured to him that the queen's protection was upon him. He knew not a word of it, nor did he care. He was easily intaking the information, but all he could think about was how Ryan was like meeting a character from his favorite book. He was _real_ . He could _touch_ him.

 

When it was over he was allowed to stand again, the cloth sticking to his flesh and stray petals catching on the hem of his pants or the curve of his collar, the excess water being hastily cleaned up once he was marched forward from his spot.

 

There was true reverence and adoration in those sweet doe eyes as he was lead up the dais to bow before his new king and queen. He did so without hesitation, ducking his head low and exposing the back of his neck for Ryan, as if even having his head sliced off would be an honor.

 

“You are now a member of the House of Haywood, and House Narvaez.” Ray's voice broke through the numb around Thief's brain, causing him to snap his attention his way for the first time. “Welcome home,” Was the final note, the queen sitting down and practically glittering in his primness. He delicately smiled at the awestruck stranger. “Remove his shackles.”

 

A murmur spread throughout the court, and even Burnie went straighter.

 

“My queen, I would advise against it-”

 

“Then it is a _good thing_ I didn't ask for your advice, _Burns,_ ” Ray said easily, sweet brown eyes locked on the stranger. Slowly the shackles were removed, freeing his wrists. He could easily lash out, make a mad dash; for a second his instincts told him to do just that. His animal base functions roared strong for the need to escape, yet the young man only flinched as if to make it, then went still again.

 

“Thank you,” He finally murmured, voice startling a few of the court with it's pitch. He stood with his arms still in front of him as if they were held there by the chains, but they were not. Ryan made a low noise, impressed by his wife's ability to read the stranger. Ray's Omegas, Michael and Gavin, were directed to gently escort the newcomer up to stand behind Ray's throne, which he did with zero resistance; though he did keep his head turned to watch the king as he stretched for a more comfortable position in his throne.

 

The induction done, Thief stood there in silence as the court went on to other business. He was still in shabby, drab clothing but that would change soon enough. Now he stood behind the queen's throne like he belonged there, towering over the Omega on his either side. He was held there by free will alone, having no desire to flee anymore when this place offered much more.

 

~

 

When the court meeting ended, there was a sudden burst of commotion that had the stranger nearly climbing the walls. The Lords and Ladies began standing all at once, and if it wasn't for a hard hand of Michael on his wrist he would've bolted. “Stop being so fucking skittish,” He hissed out the corner of his mouth, while Ray and Ryan slowly stood to move toward the exit hall hidden behind their thrones. Thief moved to follow them, mindless and loyal, but a powerful, armored hand caught him by the back of the neck.

 

“It's not your place,” Dan growled, Alpha blood seething. “You are only allowed in their presence when they wish it.” He squeezed, causing the stranger to snarl and twist, but the Alpha wasn't letting go. The court was empty now sans a few stragglers, Ray's Omegas and the guards. The Hound pushed the half naked male up against the wall, one thick hand pinning across his shoulders.

 

“Dan!” Gavin objected, shock in his features. He'd never seen the Alpha angry like this, but his dark eyes were smouldering.

 

“Why? What's so special about you that they took you after you _stole_ from them? Did you cast some kind of potion upon our queen?” Dan seethed, jealousy burning in his chest. How little this creature had suffered for his honor, how little grasp he had on the weight of it. Thief finally made a noise that sounded like it truly shouldn't come from a human; like a trapped cat, a high tremble that intensified when he began to writhe and twist from the warrior's grip. Dan, however, let him go, looking at the imprint his armor had left across the blades.

 

“Let him alone,” Gavin pleaded, eyes wide. Geoff's lazy gaze wandered over the pair.

 

“You should show him how it's done,” He said, causing Dan to whip around and face him. “Being their pet, I mean. He's already here; at least show him how to be a good pet to Ray.” Dan's face twisted up into something ugly, a faint lilt of pain trickling from his chest. Thief had pressed his back into the wall now, hissing like a creature and showing his unusual fangs.

 

“Dan?” Ray's voice was small but it broke through them all. The Hound went straight. “Are you coming?”

 

“Yes, my Queen,” Dan said instantly, breaking into a trot to follow the queen behind the tapestry. As soon as he was in the hallway, a thick hand clamped on his neck. Ryan had been lying in wait, an ambush set by the royal couple.

 

“What was that, Daniel?” Ray whispered.

 

“You...you saw that?” The former king breathed, shame coloring his cheeks. “I--” He clenched his eyes, pain clear on his features. “Please.” He murmured it in a rasp, surprising them both.

 

“Please _what,_ pup? _Speak._ ” Ryan growled.

 

“Please don't replace me.” Dan tumbled out, tears pricking his eyes. He loved them - _loved_ them - so much. “I'm only here f-for so long but don't replace me before I've left, _please._ ” his expression crumpled when the King dragged him closer by his throat, knees nearly giving out from the power of the kiss he was given.

 

Ray's expression became nothing but sympathy, brows tilting up and whole body going warm in a flush of shame and guilt. “I'm...so sorry, Daniel,” He finally said, when Ryan broke away and lightly scented the dark hair of their wolf prince. “It's not that. Not at _all_. You - are -”

 

“Are you truly comparing your place with us with a _thief?_ An experiment, a _curiosity_ by our queen?” Ryan cut in, voice low. Dan whined, submissive and desperate.

 

“N-no - I suppose it's - silly.” He murmured out. “Just - the q-queen shows such _interest,_ you look at him as though he is a new book to pry open.” He murmured, staring at Ray. _I want you to look at_ _**me** _ _like that. I want to be refreshing and_ _**new** _ _for you._

 

“Oh, Daniel.” Ray's voice was soft. “Ryan, why don't you let him sleep with us tonight?”

 

“After an outburst like that?” Ryan countered, clenching his hand a bit firmer on the Alpha's nape.

 

“Ryan. He _needs_ it.” Ryan lazily scented their Hound, but a smirk was on his lips.

 

“Very well, my soft hearted flower. Tonight then,” He nipped Dan's jugular, holding him up with an arm around the armored waist as he sagged in submission.

 

~

 

Thief, Gavin, Michael and Geoff watched Dan vanish behind the curtains that hid the hallway behind the thrones. “Are you alright?” Gavin whispered, eyes wide as the tall stranger seemed to be on full alert. He seemed to be ready for another assault any second now, whole body taunt and muscles flexing under the sleeves of his tunic. There was still a burn against his back where Dan’s armor had cut into him.

 

“Calm down, lad,” Geoff’s voice was lazy, slithering out like a snake. “He’s getting his reward for his outburst, I assure you.” The thief took a few side-steps away from the thrones, moving until he felt safer. The Omegas trailed behind him.

 

“He didn’t tell us what to do with him.” Michael grumbled, frowning as he evaluated the stranger. He dressed in light scarves it looked like, something to cover his face and eyes from the weather. He was solid muscle, thin and awkwardly sculpted. His body was peculiar, zero body fat and it just looked _odd_. Not bad, exactly, but certainly different.

 

“We’ll keep an eye on him,” Burnie uttered. “You need to calm down. No one’s going to hurt you. You’re safe.”

 

“I’m still inside,” Thief said, eyes tilting up and scanning the ceiling. “I’ve never been inside a building this long.” It had only been about two days, yet the ceiling and walls were making the stranger feel trapped. Still, they didn’t at all trust him enough to leave yet. He was under Ray’s control now, he was deemed his. Ray hadn’t given them permission to free him, so until they heard either way, the default was that he was to stay within the castle.

 

Ray came out quietly, coming up beside Geoff. Had it been anyone else they would’ve been startled, but the man just glanced his way. Ray was alone, the king and Hound having left. “Omegas,” He said sweetly. “I want you two to stay with him today. Get a feel for him - let me know what you think. I value your opinion.” He had a warm smile on his pretty features. Gavin nodded eagerly and Michael’s form tightened up in a salute.

 

“What about tonight, my queen?” Burnie asked. “He can’t stay with them…”

 

“No,” Ray agreed, knowing where Burns was going. “Give him one of the closed off rooms on the upper floors - reengineer a closet if you must. Give him a bed and more books if he wants.” Thief’s eyes went bright but he didn’t say anything, looking over Ray in wonder. “Pick a guard to watch his door tonight.”

 

“Yes, my queen.” Burnie said quickly. “As you wish.”

 

Ray gave his Omegas small kisses on the cheeks, lightly scenting with them before he left. Thief watched the exchanged but didn’t comment on it; it was clear it baffled him but no inquiries came. He was silent through the interaction, made no noise as he was grabbed by the wrist and pulled away by Gavin.

 

“You can stay with us today,” He was saying, “Then tomorrow we’ll get you somewhere more permanent.” The Omega was excited, loving the prospect of new company. Michael wasn’t very trusting but he didn’t say that out loud. Instead he kept close, locking eyes with Geoff and jerking his chin toward the thief’s back. The soldier rolled his eyes but moved from his spot to follow.

 

“Fine, I’ll babysit,” He drawled. “But I’m not watching him tonight.”

 

Gavin was already giving him the third degree. “Where do you live? Do you have a house? Do you explore old towns? Where did you get your clothes? Did you make them?” It was a whole string of inquiries that had the thief staring at him blankly.

 

“I made the house,” Came the finally reply. “I built it.” Was the added clarification. “I go through caves and forests, find abandoned towns.” A shrug. “I made some of these,” He added, trailing his fingers over the scarves. “Spider webs can be made into very light cloth,” He added. “There are lots of webs in some places.” A slow hum broke up his words, thoughtfully remembering. “Lots of spiders.”

 

“Is it true the spiders in the deep woods are as big as a horse?” Thief stopped, staring at Gavin.

 

“No,” he expressed, bluntly. “They’re no bigger than some dogs.” He dropped the fact like it wasn’t that big of a deal, but Gavin screeched to a halt.

 

“ _What?!_ ” The Omega half bellowed in the hallway. “Sp--spiders-- what? No!”

 

“Hey, you asked!” Michael chided, laughing at his mate. “That’s fucking incredible, did you kill a bunch?”

 

“They lurk around my house.” Thief commented. “They aren’t a problem when it’s light out. At night they see you as prey or a challenge.” A shrug. “Better than some of the other creatures of the night.”

 

“Yeah, like bears.” Michael commented. Thief chuckled, eyeing the bear pelt that was over the warrior’s head.

 

“Yes.” Was all he said, carefully plucking at his sleeves. Geoff eyeballed him; even though they had taken all of his weapons, he didn’t trust him. At all. “Can we go to the library?”

 

“After lunch,” Michael cut in. “We didn’t have a big breakfast this morning and I doubt you’ve eaten at all.” He stared at Thief, who nodded in confirmation that he hadn’t yet eaten that day. The tiny Omegan warrior lead them to one of the kitchens, instantly slapping at the dark, gloved hand that was reaching to steal some apples. “No. You don’t need to steal anymore. _Ask._ ” Thief stared at him as if he were mad, but quietly set the apple back down in the bowl of fruit. There wasn’t much else to be said besides that, the young man’s bark enough to put the stranger in his place for now.

 

He didn’t know what to do with some of the food. He recognized the bread, and took a whole loaf to himself, but he stared in awe at some of the other things that Geoff and the Omegas were eating. The Alpha was settled on Michael’s other side, the two pressed in close and hands vanished under the table. The fiery Omega was teasing the Alpha with swift hands, trying to get a reaction but got none. Damn him for being constantly in a state of half-sleep.

 

Thief stuck with bread, but he was convinced to take one of the smaller game hens for himself. They were only a pound each, so they didn’t worry about giving him a whole one. His fangs sliced through the cooked flesh easily, and he made no use of the utensils. Even so he was clean, getting no food on him and very efficient. Gavin nearly jumped out of his seat when the thief stripped all the meat off a leg of the hen, then proceeded to bite the bone. This wasn’t abnormal among adolescents with itchy teeth, but this was different. An audible _snap_ had the stranger chewing up the bone, crushing it with powerful jaws and sucking the marrow right out. There were tools for breaking bones, as marrow was a very delicious and useful treat, but this…

 

Occasionally there would be an alpha who would use his thumbs to snap a bone, especially a small one like that, no bigger around than a finger. None of the others at the table had seen anyone snap one in half with their teeth.

 

They hid their stares as he crunched up the bone in its entirety, eating the whole thing, marrow and bone chunks. “Iron stomach,” Geoff muttered under his breath.

 

Michael had to reach over and stop him before picking up the meat stripped bones. “Those are for the kitchen,” He ordered. “You can eat the legs but the rest of the carcass goes back.” His eyes locked onto that of the stranger, daring him to argue.

 

“Oh.” Thief said, removing his hands from it. “To make soup?”

 

“Yes, exactly. Don’t take the cook’s jobs from them.” He said it very bluntly, making him sound angry; but he’d learned really quick that the stranger reacted best to bluntness, to forward thinking. “Let’s go get cleaned up, then to the library.”

 

They washed up in the basin provided for them, thief tugging his gloves back on quickly, waiting with an air of eagerness off to the side.

 

Gavin was sort of endeared by how excited the stranger was to head for the library. “May I have the book from before?” He asked, “Th-they took it back from me this morning.” He added, showing he dearly missed it. Geoff shrugged, not sure which tome the man spoke of, but not seeing why there’d be a problem.

 

This time, entering the library without chains and in clothes he was familiar with, Thief was happier. He rushed toward the section about history, eyes darting around. He grabbed several books on past wars across his arms, holding them close to his chest when he moved to a new section. By the end of it, he was standing there with a stack of books in his arms that were over his head, setting them down delicately on one of the desks.

 

“Well, we didn’t give him a limit,” Michael said, staring at the fifteen books in the stack. Gavin hunted down one of the scribes and asked if it would be alright to take that many at once.

 

“What?!” Miles sounded wholeheartedly offended. “Who the hell-”

 

He rounded one of the huge cases of books, coming to a halt when he saw the thief. “Uh,” He pointed at him. “That’s who wants to take all my books? Why?” He had allowed the stranger his precious work in progress, and it had returned in perfect condition; but even so, this was ridiculous. He walked over to the stranger, coming up closer and realizing how tall he was.

 

Miles was always a nervous man, sort of jittery at best. “You can have three,” He finally declared, hopping back a few steps. “Uh,” He fumbled when Thief began staring forlornly at the book pile. “At a time. You can take more when you’ve returned the others.” He added. He swallowed nervously, he didn’t trust this man at all. After all, who would trust a thief? Even so, he _had_ taken good care of the book he’d borrowed the previous night.

 

Even so, the man couldn’t stand his darling passages to be gone for that long. “Maybe you can sit in here and read them,” He said softly, when the stranger picked out the volumes he wanted. Thief came up to Michael, already falling into place that he was in charge.

 

“May I have a potion back? Just one,” He asked. Michael frowned.

 

“No. I don’t care which one.” He spat, still bitter from how the green slime had affected him and his friends. Thief’s expression withered but he nodded.

 

“Candles, then? To read by…” He’d had torches the night before, but didn’t want to ask for one. Michael shrugged.

 

“We’ll see.”

 

~

 

“Do you still feel like we would replace you?” Ryan rumbled, voice deep and low and punctuated by a rough grunt. Dan was splayed out below, knees spread wide as his king slid up into that tight hole, every drag of the thick head making his legs quake. The hound happily bounced between his king and queen, taking Ray's Omega cock between his lips and burying his nose in the curls at his pelvis, drowning himself in their scent. Ryan's thrusts set the pace, drawing Dan back and shoving him forward so he pumped lovingly on the smooth cock.

 

Ray smoothed his fingers through Dan's hair, holding him gently and gasping out tiny praises, pupils blown and whispers of his love for them coming out between his moans. He was wet and it made his thighs shine, shuddering at the sight of Dan's powerful back tensing with each powerful thrust. “I don't think so, love,” Ray hummed, thumbing over the man's ear and feeling all the air leave him from a particularly sweet suckle on the base of his cock. “Gods, you are a gift,” He panted, heated and lost in it all. “Daniel - _oh_.”

 

The king leaned over the expanse of Dan's back, dragging his fangs over the jumping shoulder blades. “You're going to make my queen come,” He growled. “Swallow his Omega seed, make him breed you.” Dan _moaned_ between them, hands coming up to cradle Ray's hips as he took control of the pace there, bobbing his mouth against the smooth cock and staring up at the younger male with pleading eyes.

 

Watching Ray come undone was always a delight, his moans got higher pitched and his hands flew up to prettily cover his mouth to muffle the Omegan chatter when he came hard. He fucked Dan's mouth with abandon, watching in awe as the warrior took it without a hitch.

 

The night ended with Dan pressed between the king and queen, all three scenting lazily. Ryan was knotted deep inside the other Alpha but he was already winding down, pressing his face between the hound’s shoulders. Ray and Dan lightly kissed and scented, fingers trailing over exposed flesh with reverence. Dan felt like he belonged here, between his king and queen and being _loved_. Ray’s smaller body tucked into his arms, Ryan’s thick muscled form hooked around them both to hold them. It was drowsy and sweet, their scents all a mix and perfect.

 

“I love you, Daniel,” Ray whispered faintly against the man’s jaw. “I love you as I love my king; you will _never_ be replaced.” Ryan rumbled back in agreement, too exhausted to form words but his sentiment was there.

 

~

 

Picking out a room for Thief took far longer than he would’ve liked, but Michael made sure it was one close enough to run there, but far enough away from his and the king and queen’s quarters to feel safe. Blaine was picked to watch the stranger for the night, this time he wasn’t as anxious. With books in his arms he would be occupied all night.

 

The lantern usually used for exploring out in the dark was hung high on the wall near the door. It illuminated the room enough to read by. There was a small bed tucked in the far corner, but the room itself was only big enough for it and a step or two from the back wall to the door. Thief didn’t fuss, in fact he was already pulling off his hoods and shawls to set them on the bed when he was shown the place. It was warm indoors, no need for layers.

 

As the heavy door shut and the thick lock ground its way into place, Thief climbed onto the bed. It was firm and cheap but he seemed comfortable where he laid, leaning his bare back against the far wall. He splayed the books out on his lap, his back straight as he read them. Everything therein was new and fresh and he _loved_ it. He’d read many of the same stories over and over. Never tiring of them, but something _new_ was welcome. He read about the wars that resulted in the Haywood name taking over the kingdoms, of treaties formed and allies who feared and respected them.

 

The walls felt like a cave. He could pretend it was a cave enough to feel less trapped. Truly, he was trapped here, but also he chose to be here. He slid a thumb over one of the thick pages, along the hand lettered scribe. Someone who was probably still alive had written this. That in itself struck him deeply, feeling close to a human he’d never met before. he turned the page, able to see from the slight changes in font where it switched from day to day, person to person to collectively write such a thing. The language was smooth and easy to read, close to the old books back home.

 

 _Home._ His eyes halved as he read alone the line depicting a bloody battle. _I want to show them_ _**my** _ _books,_ He mused, _they’ll see then._ He wondered if he could give any of these newer books the properties of his own, softly glowing ones back in the house he’d built, tucked away deep in the thick forests north of the kingdom. Perhaps not. Perhaps he’d never see those books again. A pang hit him in the chest, having to close his eyes to fight the urge to flee, to fight his way out. _I want to be here. There is so very much to learn._

 

* * *

 

 **[The gifset<3](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/116248311006/a-stranger-kicks-up-all-manner-of-panic-within-the)**  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Masked/Gayvinz: Thanks so much for reading. Leave a comment if it struck your fancy? I'm desperate for feedback to improve. Thank you all so much for this opportunity.


	21. "Lord" Ryan - PartVI "The Market Festival"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a festival in Ray's home town and he invites "Lord" Ryan along

**I know it's been forever, and I promised this chapter a long time ago, so I hope this makes up for it. I just haven't been in the right mindset for it. No porn, just extreme fluff and plot advancement. King-rye-bread on tumblr practically wrote this chapter herself, so thank you boi for such an amazing outline to follow. Love you. And thanks to my B and Der for editing this.**

**Feedback would feed the thirsty beast that is me.**

* * *

 

 

Though the inner city went on it’s usual day-to-day life with only a mild interest in the rumblings of the farmers, outside the walls the people were starting to get rosy cheeked in anticipation as the day of the great Market Festival approached. They had two big Market Festivals a year - one at the height of the autumn harvest and the other at the end of the Spring. The one in the Spring had tons of fresh fruit and vegetables, it was a time to show what you would be selling until Winter and to display the freshest ingredients. Autumn was a time for preserves and the last of the best crops, pies and pickled vegetables and all sorts of baked goods to celebrate the gift of flame. It was a huge deal with all the farming villages in the Realm and quite the event. It was where marriage proposals were made, vows renewed, and for the day the peasants simply enjoyed the richness of life and the bounty of the land.

Ryan was aware of the festivities but the court seemed to have some kind of special event every few week so he didn’t feel the weight of it. The happy hum of his people seeped into the castle through his servants and lower lords but it was never a big focus.

But Ray - he was consumed with the spirit of it. Though they didn’t have any relatives to visit, since his uncles and cousins lived in Dorne along with all their children and lovers, Ray more than happily decorated their farmhouse just for the two of them. Wreaths of leaves, flowers in clay vases, pumpkins and gourds hollowed out and carved with holes to place candles inside and put on the windowsills. For the entire week before the festival, father and son sat down every night and made corn husk dolls for the children of the village. Dorne was still heavy in their blood, the old magic working through their fingers into each doll to give sweet blessings upon the younglings. Ray kissed every one of them and said a few words over their tiny bodies before placing them in the large, covered basket they would carry to market.

The wise crones of the village said there would be a full, golden moon on the night of the Market Festival and it stirred up romantic ideas.

Ray’s father needled him lovingly about taking one of the local girls to the Festival, or even one of the strapping Alpha boys. But Ray just stayed quiet and each night he was asked his smile got a little bigger, a little more secretive.

“I’ll bring someone, Papa. Don’t worry.”

o0o

Two days before the Festival, Ray finally got up his courage and patiently waited for Lord Ryan to appear in the garden. He kept himself tucked away in the greenery and lightened his steps so that when the lord appeared he had a bit of an advantage. Ray hunted through the roses, ears tuned to the sound of the Alpha curiously calling his name. The patch he’d chosen was full of long stemmed roses, a favored of courtiers. He liked them well enough with their lengthy bodies and small, sweet smelling buds but they lacked the full flavor of Dornish roses and the rich blood color of those the garden was known for.

Ray carefully clipped the flower near the bottom and darted out of the bushes, appearing behind the Alpha. “Hello.”

Ryan made a show of being startled and turned to give him a fond grin. “What a little flower you are. Grew right up out of the ground. Hello, Ray.”

Ray tried to put on his best smile but it came out small, shy. “My lord...Ryan, I mean, I...I don’t know if you’re aware but there’s a Festival upon us in just two days. A lord such as yourself, you probably have no use for common folk fun, but it really is a delight. There’s so many good things to eat and everyone shows their trades. Papa and I will be selling milk and salted pork, a side stand of flowers for those who wish to be romantic, and dolls for the little ones. I…” He trailed off, ears burning as the man’s smile grew from his ramble. “Have you ever been?”

“No, I can’t say that I have,” Ryan replied honestly.

Ray’s tongue darted out to wet his suddenly parched lips. “Would you have any interest? We hold it in our village just down the road, others come in from all over.”

A blonde brow raised. “Maybe.”

Ray took a quiet, full breath and brought out the rose as an offering. “It would be an honor to have you accompany me. I could show you everything worth seeing. I-I promise to make sure you enjoy yourself.” His breath hitched when the Alpha took the rose and sniffed at the small blossom. “Everything points to the weather being nice so if nothing else you’d get some time outside…”

“Ray,” Ryan cut off gently, though he would gladly watch the boy blush and squirm all day. “The honor would be all mine.”

Ray lit up and became a smiling, flushed vision that took the king’s breath away. “Truly?”

Ryan nodded, clutching the rose to his chest. “Of course.”

Ray fumbled over a few aborted sentences before he finally caught his tongue. “Two days from now, at noon, ride to my father’s farm. We’ll head to the village together.  
  
“That sounds perfect.”

o0o

“That sounds ridiculous.”

Ryan frowned at Burnie’s sharp, disappointed tone. He sat next to the hearth in his favorite chair, boots kicked off and feet propped up on a stool. It was covered in the fur of one of his kills and it was soft beneath his heels. The rose Ray had gifted to him was in his hands, fingers tracing the stem and caressing the velvety petals.

Geoff was perched on another stool, Burnie on the couch, and they were both staring at him with something like exasperation written all over their faces.

“I could never say no to him,” Ryan tisked, thumbing at the blossom. “He has such a honeyed smile, and those big doe eyes...how was I to resist?”

“Yes, yes, your rosy lad, we know,” Burnie growled softly. “I just can’t believe you agreed to that.”

“I can, the boy has him around his finger.” Geoff pointedly swirled his goblet of wine. “Our king wrapped in red ribbon like a present for the son of our Royal Gardener.”

Ryan made a low sound that said he should watch his tongue so he quieted, but his smile stayed.

“A farmer festival,” Burnie hummed. “They are pleasant, yes, but you’ll be completely exposed to the people. If you want to keep up your rouse with the boy, you can’t exactly roll out a line of Kingsguard.”

“I’ll go as ‘Lord Ryan’, of course.” Ryan twirled the flower, smiling at it. “Deny anything, ask the gods to shield me from knowing eyes.”

“The gods don’t care that you’re sneaking around a peasant festival to impress a gardener,” Burnie scoffed with a heavy tinge of bitterness. Ryan’s icy gaze cut to him and he cringed. “Nothing against the boy. He’s sweet, innocent, truly.”

“What if…” Geoff began, draining his glass. “We went with you?”

Ryan and Burnie both sputtered in disbelief.

“Hear me out,” Geoff urged quickly, he could taste their protests. “We’ll all be in disguise to a point. We’re cooped up in the castle so much that our faces aren’t exactly well known. There’s paintings of you, Ryan, but there are plenty of blue-eyed blonde men roaming around from the North. I think there’s a low chance anyone will actually be sure enough to say something.”  
  
Ryan hummed lowly and twirled the rose, thumb swiping over the side of a thorn. “It’s not a terrible idea.”

Burnie puffed out a short breath.

“It’s not, though,” Ryan insisted. “Who better to protect me then my most trusted? We’ll close court for the day, claim a day of rest for the Mad King, and we’ll slip out in hoods.” He brushed the blossom under his nose and smiled in a surprisingly gentle way while his Kingsguard held their breath at the statement of his toxic title. “It’s positively fairytale.”

Burnie mulled over the idea, fingers tangled in his lap. He finally groaned and dropped his head back. “You bastard. Fine. Both of us will go with you. But if there’s even a whiff of danger, we’re dragging you out of there.”

Ryan’s sudden bark of a laugh put some fear in their bellies.

“You can try.”

o0o

The day of the Market Festival, the three donned themselves in heavy cloaks and went to the stables. They acquired a covered cart and Geoff took the front, securing two fit horses while the king and the head of the Kingsguard piled into the back. They rode out of the city in relative peace, Geoff only having to have a quick word with a guard by the gate before they were on their way. There wasn’t a lot of conversation as they traversed the King’s Road, taking a rock-lined path to the left that would circle around to the Narvaez farmland before reconnecting and heading into town.

The sky was a little past its highest noon point in the sky when the farm came into view. They passed wheat and patches of corn, a field with some sheep and goats running around. The fenced in field on the other side held just a handful of cows and Ryan popped out of the curtain to see them properly. Burnie hid his amusement at the way their sovereign beamed at the cows, wondering aloud what their names were and how tamed they could possibly be. He hadn’t noticed more than two last time, he was happily surprised to now see the little herd. Ryan had a private bovine farm right outside the city limits, every one of them named and somehow remembered by the king. Before Haywood was a royal name it was the title of the greatest providers to the castle. Cow herders but with rolling lands of happy, well taken care of beasts.

If Ray were to be wrapped up in a true royal courtship, he was sure these fields would be stuffed with healthy, fat cows as presents.

The farm came into view, small at first and then towering. Though only two stories high, it was wide and built stalwart to last the weather. Comfortable, quaint, and somewhere Ryan was growing achingly familiar with.

They hitched the horses to the porch post and piled off the wagon. As they walked up the steps to the door their robes fluttered to show off their clothes. Geoff looked at the three of them and frowned as their king knocked, the rich red sleeve of his shirt showing. Maybe we should have made sure he dressed down.

There was a scuffle behind the door before it was thrown open. Ryan was struck but how clean his little flower looked, petals and leaves all groomed into place. Ray had taken a hot bath it seemed and his hair had been trimmed up, curls gone to make him look a bit more grown up. His cheeks were rosy with excitement and his tunic was a sandy gold, cut tight at the waist with brown trim. Slim leather boots that went up to his knees, white leggings that accentuated the caramel of his skin. A black satchel was thrown over his shoulder, mostly empty and ready to be filled with goods. The tunic was sleeveless to show off the lithe muscles of his arms and Ryan was stunned. Ray looked like a true Dornish man, smelling like a pure rose with that glaze-like scent underneath.

“Gods,” Ryan breathed, eyes comically wide as he looked him over.

“You really came.” Ray failed to contain his bright smile, tone breathless in joy. “My lord…” He cleared his throat when he realized the Alpha was flanked by two others. “Hello. I believe we’ve seen each other in passing before. I’m Raymond.”

“Of course,” Geoff put his best foot forward and shot him a wide smile, shaking the offered hand. “The Royal Gardener’s son. The flowers have never looked so beautiful.”

“Then you’re blind, my father did much better work,” Ray laughed. The subtle bite made Geoff draw back in surprise, his own little startled chuckle bursting forth.

“Forgive me, young sir.”

“Ray,” Ryan gentled, amused. “These are my good friends and knights, Geoffrey and Michael.” He gestured accordingly.

“Geoff, please.”

“Burnie, if you don’t mind.”  

“They are my closest friends,” Ryan confessed, missing the way the other two startled. “Forgive me if it’s rude to bring along guests but they were so excited by the prospect of getting out of their normal boring duties that I couldn’t resist. It’s been a long time since any of us has had any true merriment.”

“Oh!” Ray quickly stepped up to Burnie and wrapped him in a tight hug, giving him a good squeeze before pulling back to kiss both his cheeks. Burnie’s jaw dumbly dropped and he looked to his king, wondering silently what he was supposed to do. “Michael...Burnie, I mean. Welcome, many welcomes for my lord’s closest friends.”

Geoff was snatched next in a warm hug and he got the biggest, silliest grin. He squeezed him back and laughed when he got his scruffy cheeks kissed. “You’re very sweet, Raymond.”

“I’m just excited, I think. It’s good to hear my Lord Ryan has friends,” Ray admitted playfully, stepping back and looking at them all with fresh excitement. “You are more than welcome here, my friends. Anytime at all, there is a bed and a home cooked meal for you.”

“Sweet and generous,” Geoff amended. “What a wonderful friend you’ve made, Ryan.”

“What can I say? I’m lucky.” Ryan felt a little pang of worry. “Ray, before we leave, I must say that I want to keep my social status...quiet, if I can.”

Ray gave him a scrupulous look before taking the flaps of his cloak and pulled it apart. “In this? You don’t think everyone you pass will call you ‘my lord’ while you wear such expensive fabric?”

Ryan blinked slowly, brilliant mind whirring as he looked down at himself. “It’s not that expensive, is it? I tried to dress down.”

Ray’s belly laugh was shockingly pleasant and Burnie cracked a real smile as he watched his sovereign grow warm around the ears in delicate embarrassment. “You are a bit spoiled, my lord.”

“I’m no stranger to hard work,” Ryan insisted.

“Calm, please, I only tease.” Ray opened up the door wider and gestured inside. “Come. We’ll get a small bite before the road and I’ll find you a more appropriate outfit so you’ll pass as maybe a farmhand.” The boy’s smile turned mischievous. “But, of course, your fine features will turn many a head at the Festival.”

Ryan shot back a grin. “They’ll be too busy lavishing you with wanton, lovesick looks to even see me, my flower.”

“Cad,” the Omega needled, chuckling a little at the two other Alphas shocked looked. “Please, inside. Sit a moment and take some bread while I find our lord here appropriate attire.”

While Burnie and Geoff broke their fast, Ryan followed Ray into his father’s bedroom. Ryan protested at first but the Omega was insistent. It was a chaste exchange - Ray dug around in his father’s drawers for suitable wear and found the hidden king a set of clothes. They were made in shades of brown, simple and sturdy, paired with a black side satchel that matched the Omega’s own. Ray turned away for the man to change and when he looked again he was happy to see they mostly fit.

Ryan adjusted the waist belt a little tighter and stuffed the thick leggings in his boots, relacing them. “I’ll pay him back, of course. New work clothes, better ones.”

“It’s appreciated. I don’t know what state those will be in when we return.”

“I promise to treat them carefully.”

“We’re going to a festival, Ryan. There’s no telling what we’ll get into.”

“Fair, my flower.”

Ray blushed and looked down at the floor. “We should go…”

Ryan’s chest felt warm. “Should we eat something for the road?”

“No!”

The outburst startled the Alpha and Ray quickly softened his tone. “I-I just mean that...well, I want to show you everything the Festival has to offer, and a lot of that is food. I have some coin saved up, I wanted to really give you a feel of what the villages have to offer.”

Ryan felt his heart flutter at the innocent eagerness, the touching desire to share his lifestyle with him. Ray wanted to bring him into his life, to show him the joys of the common folk. It touched the king deeply and his smile showed the tenderness he felt. “I am blessed for the opportunity to see your way of life and the festivities of your peers. I’ve looked forward to it.”

“That silver tongue,” Ray muttered sheepishly as he walked past the Alpha.

Ryan snagged the boy’s wrist and tugged him close despite his quiet protest that the others were waiting. Ray fit easily into Ryan’s side, his cheek nosed at until he turned his head to be given a brief kiss. “I look forward to spending the day with you, if nothing else.”

Ray gasped softly against his mouth, the words pouring across his lips. “I’m sure there are many who would be jealous that I’ve stolen you for so long.”

“Damn them.” The words were shockingly soft as their noses bruised. “Here is where I want to be, with you.”

They simply breathed one another in before they heard Geoff’s impatient bark about needing more wine in his breakfast.

“Come,” that breathless delight was back in Ray’s tone. “Let’s go. The Festival has long started.”

o0o

The ride to the village was lengthy, especially with the long curve back onto the King’s Road. Ray sat up front with Geoff and they talked about wine, the Omega expressing his disinterest in intoxication while the other spouted his great love for it. The other two Alphas were in the back, quiet and contemplative. Burnie listened to the light hearted conversation but his small smile faded when he saw his king’s clasped hands in front of him as if in prayer.

“Sire?” he whispered.

Ryan’s lips were pursed tight and he tried to hide the trembling but there was a fine, distinct shakiness about him. Burnie eased off the bench and crawled] over to the king, kneeling before him and laying a hand over his clenched hands. Ryan’s gaze slowly rose to meet him and he smiled gently at his king, reassuring him.

“What if it’s more true than I’ve ever believed?” Ryan mumbled vaguely, voice more quiet than Burnie had ever heard it and not just to keep the garden boy from hearing them. “They’ll take one look at me and see it, the Mad King, splashed on me like a stain. These rags can’t hide my poisonous flesh and they’ll turn against me, a tyrant. They’ll hate me...they’ll see me with Ray and they’ll know I’m nothing good for him.”

“My dramatic sovereign,” Burnie teased lightly, squeezing the other’s hands. That got the smallest of smiles in return. “Whatever the people call you, there is no mark on you from those words. You are not a tyrant, or a Mad King. I’ve seen the way you make that boy smile and the light you bring out in him sears away whatever stain there is believed to be.”

Ryan suddenly clutched his hand and stared fiercely at the boards of the carriage. Burnie watched the finite emotions play across the other Alpha’s face and he channelled all his strength into his king. He had no idea these doubts had been circling around his head and he could only imagine the burden.

“Maybe they won’t love you, we’ll be prepared for that,” Burnie began carefully, rubbing his thumb over the back of his hand. “But they will like you, if nothing else. They will see you with Ray and they will think, ‘How good that our garden boy has such an Alpha to protect him at the palace.’ “

“But am I?” Ryan’s eyes fell closed. “I’m a liar, a thief. I’m stealing the most precious Omega from someone who could love him fully, who could give him a family and a life…”

Burnie frowned sharply. “Ryan...what makes you think you can’t give him those things, if you so choose?”

The shock on the king’s face broke his heart and he said no more of it. It was best not to encourage the tryst, the rouse, but he was already playing along and he hated to see his king so upset.

o0o

The “village” really was more of a town, and with hundreds flocking in from rural areas it resembled a small city. Carts packed with goods cut through the smiling crowd so they left their carriage and horses with a flock of young unpresented boys who Ray trusted. Ryan slipped them each a silver coin and told them to pay special attention and to not let anyone run off with them.

“It’s a very long walk back to the Narvaez Farm, boys. I’d hate to make you walk with us as punishment for carelessness.”

The troop nodded in unison, eyes wide in fear of having to trudge there and back.

The town had a fair amount of brick and stone buildings that served as two story shops with living quarters up top. Some houses were squeezed into the core and along the side streets but most bordered the main hub. A short, smoothstone wall marked the edges of the town and it was all packed with excited people. The shops had a steady flow of traffic but the streets were primarily dominated with wooden stands that were showcasing goods. Ryan had grown up with his selection of the best of the best but these goods were fresh, homely, and crafted with love.

Fine furniture, sanded and polished and painted. Rustic decorations - wreaths, scarecrows, brooms, and hearth tools. Toys of all sorts from figurines to fabric dolls, hoops, even little noisemakers. The food was abundant, as Ray had said, and the rich smell saturated the air. Fresh bread, a wide range of colorful fruits and vegetables, baked goods, pies of fruit and meat all oozing filling and steaming on their wooden displays. Every stand seemed to have it’s own speciality from blacksmithing to butchery. Great slabs of meat hung up in hooks, some behind windows while others were brandished outside. There was a chill in the air that kept most of the bugs away and kept the pink in the cheeks the people. Food was cooked in great vats of sauces and stews, put on sticks, wrapped in dough with simple seasonings.

Livestock were kept in makeshift pens to be shown off - goats, chickens, roosters, some sheep, even a few horses. Some stands boasted armor or weapons, others had fine silk dresses and more delicate pieces. Jewelry to show off the families who did metal work and mining, though only a handful of stands were so rich of luck for that. Most were more humble textile stands with strong, sturdy work clothes and daggers, heavy bolts of cloth to sell for mothers to make the clothes for their own families. Mead and wineskins seemed to be placed near the opening roads to sell to travelers as they came in and Geoff passed a few coins over for one immediately upon passing. It wasn’t just goods, but also entertainment on offer - lots of performers wandering the crowd, juggling or singing, playing instruments, flipping around. A few young Alpha women in slim, form-fitting outfits were jumping up on posts and balancing on just their hands, curling their legs in the air, going up to stand on just a few fingers before dropping and skipping off to the next section of the crowd where they could tip their hats and catch a coin or two.

Ryan was in awe by the warmth of it all, the buzz in the air. It was a different grandness than the court and much more refreshing, more genuine. Spectacular.

Ray took his hand and smiled once more. “Let’s go.”

o0o

Ray was more popular in the town than Ryan could’ve imagined. The boy was bright, bubbly even when comfortable, but the people adored him. Sometimes it was just a polite nod or a call of his name, a brief stop to ask how his father was and where their stand was in town, but sometimes small gaggles of people would surround him with well wishes.

The town was muddy but the people were so kind, so cheerful, even with their weathered faces and rough hands. They complained jovially about how much Ray had been working lately and they missed him greatly in the everyday. Old friends from other villages came up to, some elders who chittered on about how big Ray had gotten. A lot of them congratulated the boy on his Omega status and slipped him a few coins during their hugs with a kiss on the cheeks.

“You looks so handsome in your Dornish colors.”

“Blessing of the Eight on you, young Ray.”

“If your mother could see you now, she’d be so proud. You’re growing into a fine young man.”

Once they were done cooing over Ray, eyes always turned to Ryan, asking who he was. Ray introduced him always as a servant from the castle. That turned off the suspicion - those who went to work in the palace stayed in the barracks and servants quarters, not a usual face to see at any village. Ryan’s natural shade of blonde hair was an immediate topic of conversation, asking about his family which he half-lied and said was in livestock. A few young Omega girls, the sisters of Ray’s friends, batted their lashes at him and made quiet comments about how his eyes looked like the ocean. He waved them off with chaste hand kisses and a kind greeting, commenting on their finest feature before they turned into blushy messes and ran off (except one bold girl, which he told he was Ray’s companion for the day, for which she gave a sly, knowing grin).  

Burnie and Geoff stayed closed and were unhappy with the way their king was treated - cheeks pinched and openly examined, patted at to emphasize how “skin and bones” he was. They brushed at the sovereign's hair and snatched his hands to look for signs of hard work. Ryan was being treated as one of them, evaluated for his worthiness of accompanying their precious Ray. The two knights would have been more concerned with the casual fondling of their king if they too weren’t garnering attention.

It started with Burnie. The mothers or daughter or sisters of Ray’s friends would latch onto him, taking him by the arms and rubbing the muscle there, shooting heated looks at him and saying they’d never seen such man in the village before. “Where were you hiding all this time, young sir?” He stuttered and faltered under such attention, their fingers catching in his copper curls to praise them as well as the blue of his eyes. Even an Alpha approached him in passing, stopping beside him and taking his elbow, handsome and intrigued as he looked him over. They’d had a moment, a spark, but one quick sniff and the other Alpha backed off.

“Shame. Mated?” the stranger asked politely.

“Yes.”

“Another Alpha…” he murmured vaguely, eyes darting to the subtle red marks past his neckline and at his inner left wrist. Burnie shared a secret smile with the man and nodded. “Then quite a shame.”

Though Geoff received his share of open admirers, it was the awed stare of passing men he received for his rolled up sleeves. His ink was on full display, images and swirls and signs of strength out for anyone to gawk at. Instead of getting heated stares and puckered lips, he gained a following of younglings. They grabbed at his hands as he walked to touch the little symbols etched there, circling him as he walked in an endless chain of eager faces. They shot him all kinds of questions to what his name was to where he got his ink, if it hurt, if he’d ever killed anyone, if he was an Alpha. Geoff eased up on the wine and answered their questions, keeping with his king but letting them play with his hands and hang off him.

Geoff had lived with his aunts in a town just like this for quite a few years while his uncles tried to establish themselves in the King’s court, his father busy ruling the Stormlands. The feel of the place was truly starting to remind him of his long-ago home, before the castle became his playground.

Burnie was stunned - unused to the attention, the stares, the blatant compliments. He’d been passed over a lot in his life, soft and meek for so long before Ryan took him under his wing. Even as the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard he was too busy for much romance. Joel had been a blessing, someone he could work with and eat with and sneak away into the corridors with. His lover would’ve been amused to see so many looking at him and how flustered he was getting.

Ryan’s boisterous laugh caught his Kingsguard off guard. He turned to them, shooing off the gaggle of children with playful little growls. He clapped a hand on both their shoulders. “Ray and I are going to venture off a bit. You two enjoy yourselves.”

Unsurprisingly, Burnie was the one to frown and shake his head. “We shouldn’t.”

“You should,” Ryan insisted. There was no malice there, no command, just an urge. “Please, you must be starving. I won’t leave town. I’m sure if you get too worried you’ll be able to find me.” He shot them a wink, flushed with mirth and the anticipation of truly exploring the Festival with Ray. “And if I need you, I’ll kick up a fit the likes of which no one has ever seen.”

Geoff nodded, shoving Burnie a little when he started to protest again. “We’ll meet up with you in the town square in a few hours. Before sunset.”

Ryan shot him a little salute and got his other hand seized by an Omega.

“I’ll bring him back two hours before sunset, on the dot,” Ray promised, giddy at the prospect of so much time alone with the man. “Promise. See you later!”

And then the two were gone.

“Oh no,” Burnie breathed out. “This can’t end well.”

“Look at him, Burns, he’s happy. No blood, no war, not even torturing courtiers.” Geoff waved in the direction they went off in. “He’ll be fine.”

o0o

The moment they were away from his secret Kingsguard, Ray took his hand and didn’t let go. They weaved through the crowd and passed by all the stands of knick-knacks, the fruits, all the bounty that the Festival had to offer. The patches of grass between stands were riddled with children playing with their new toys or sharing sweets, laughing and tangling one another in the ribbon toys that were tied to sticks. Some of the performers were taking time to entertain them with puppets and juggling balls made of blown glass that shined brilliantly in the sunlight.

The sun kissed everything in favor though the chill stayed in the air, reminding them that summer was ending. Ray looked gorgeous as he pulled him along, looking back with the biggest smile and sweetest laugh that enraptured the Alpha. “Look, Ryan, look!”

Ryan gladly looked into the rough windows to see the dresses and bolts of fabric hanging there, good leather boots and head scarves in rustic shades of reds. “They’re very nice.”

“This is one of the finer shops in town,” Ray whispered close to him, still looking at everything. “My friend Danny’s family runs it. They do great business this time of year.”

Ray quickly pulled him away from the shop before he could say a word about it, obviously shy with how enthusiastic he was about material things. The passed a group of giggling younglings all brandishing little caramel candies, squealing about their prizes. “The children are so gorgeous, aren’t they?”

Ryan followed the parade of youth with a fond smile, thinking of one day having his own. “Precious little ones.”

They passed the biggest bakery in town and they’d set up a broad stand out front selling hot, sugared pastries and all kinds of pies. Ray stared at it with open hunger but he knew they were on the expensive side. Every coin in his satchel was precious. He’d been saving up for weeks to buy Ryan some sort of fancy present, something worthy of his lord status, but his stomach was empty and the smell of hot bread and sugar was hooking him.

Ray jumped when Ryan eased up behind him, strong arms circling his waist and a chin hooking over his shoulder. He relaxed into the Alpha, giving a tiny chitter as he blanketed the heavy arms. Warm, chapped lips brushed his ear and he warmed all over. “Which one do you want?”

“No, no, they’re much too expensive…”

“Hush, my flower,” Ryan rumbled softly, squeezing him. “We are here to enjoy ourselves. I’ve brought plenty of coin for us both.”  
  
“Ryan.”

He brushed his cheek against the Omega’s dark hair, blending their scents. “Let me spoil you, even just a little.”

Ray chewed his lip, eyes darting to the other stands nearby. “...are you very hungry?”  
  
Ryan’s grin was wolfish. “Starving, my boy. Let’s gorge a little, hm?”

Ray’s shell finally cracked and he broke into a grin. “Yes. Let’s.”

o0o

Burnie and Geoff split up to cover each side of the town and he ended up closer to the rustic, layman side. The stone houses were rougher here but the people still streamed in and out, handling baskets and bags with new clothes or armor pieces.

Burnie ducked into one of the shops and was surprised to see it was full of leatherwork. It was all in shades of brown and simple pieces, nothing too fancy compared to what they had access to at the castle. But this was rustic with no middleman, made by hardworking people outside of the castle. The idea that buying here went directly to the family behind the counter warmed his heart and he kept an open mind looking at the displays. He didn’t particularly need anything but it was always nice to look, to let his mind drift away from the obsessive thought of his sovereign out alone in a crowd of people who could recognize him at any time.

But then he thought of Joel back at the castle and he wished he’d known that this would be a “couple” day so he could’ve brought his lover. He was always hesitant to say “mate” for a number of reasons, even in the secret cavern of his mind. There was a fear of being ostracized, if not the biggest deterrent. He would never risk their positions, their social status, and though Joel could put on a tough act he had a nervous, soft center that just wanted to please. Ryan liked to pick on Joel, give him awful or boring jobs, and always cutting his eyes to Burnie as if waiting for a reaction.

But Burnie was silent. Joel was grown, a guard, and he could handle himself. He knew the king enjoyed his company, though today’s attitude was so light and cheerful that he couldn’t be sure it was all an act. Sometimes he felt like he and all the Kingsguard were just playthings to him, but other times it felt like they were intimate friends.

It was hard to tell with Ryan.

Burnie came across some accessories and found a simple black wrist band with clasps on the inside. It was smooth and strong under his fingertips and he thought of Joel, how nice it would look against alabaster skin. A subtle claim, maybe with the insignia of his clan on it. Something Ryan wouldn’t quite notice right away. Maybe marking Joel like that was asking for a swift fuck from their king, or a session of being stripped and made to lick his knot...but with Ray around, Ryan seemed preoccupied and less interested in playing with his guards.

Burnie didn’t like to admit it but he loved his sovereign's attention. Bent over his bed or at his side in the war room, it didn’t matter. Ryan was his pillar of strength, his savior in a way. As far as he was concerned, everything he owned belonged to the king. Maybe even Joel, if only to the degree it would take to satisfy Ryan’s jealousy.

They all belonged to him, every one of them. Even you, garden boy. You are another jewel in his crown. Even if you outshine us, you will never truly get away. Seeing how you look at him...I don’t think you’d want to run. Even when you learn he’s king, I think you’ll stay.

Burnie passed over the coin to the merchant and wondered if Ryan had bedded the boy yet. And either way, he couldn't help but think of the day Ray found out Haywood’s secret. Would he be heartbroken, or elated? Would he be brought to tears, or violence?

In the end, what would happen when the fantasy came apart at the seams?

He dreaded that day.

o0o

Ray handed a copper over to one of the Alpha girls he'd grown up with, who went by Steffie to her friends, and she gladly gave him one of her best handmade baskets. Ryan passed her a silver coin with a shushing motion and a thank you before the pair went to the stands to collect their hearty lunch. Ray bought two fat peaches, a modest handful of caramel candies, and a small shining jar of raw honeycomb. Ryan insisted on buying the meat and offered an argument that he was a visiting guest and should contribute to the Festival, that he made more coin than the Omega, and that Ray could repay him in trade.

“Teach me how to plant vegetables.” Ryan's hands were already easing the basket from Ray's hands. “I know the king has ordered a vegetable garden to be added among the flowers. Teach me how to grow my own food instead of wasting your money on our personal little feast.”

“Well,” Ray drew out, brow knitted. “Don't buy me anything grand, I can't eat a lot at a time. Just a meat pie.”

“Of course.”

Ryan proceeded to go to the best meat stands and purchase skewered meat kabobs and buns packed full of shredded meat. Meat pies with gravy and cooked vegetables. Ray followed with a gaping mouth, begging him to stop, but Ryan made sure to get beef and veal, the more expensive options. He offered a gold coin to the butcher for grilled cow cheeks and the man quickly did them up, wrapping them in rice paper and handing them over to get carefully placed in the basket. His last stop was back at the bakery Ray had been first eyeing. He looked at their selection and then gave them four silver coins for a fresh dish that was bread packed with pockets of cherry preserves and baked in a clay pot, the top completely covered in a well-whipped icing that seemed to seep in through the cracks. It came covered in a lid so he had Ray carry it. The Alpha purchased ale from a drink stand along with a water drink mixed with slices of lemons and a green fruit that mimicked its shape but smaller. It was citrusy and sweet, tangy, and Ray stared in awe at it when it was passed to his hand.

“Shall we find somewhere to rest and eat?”

Ray huffed loudly and wanted to protest but he couldn't deny that he was trying not to drool from all the good food the Alpha had bought. “Follow me, you sly fox.”

Ryan waggled his eyebrows and that made the boy crack a smile. “After you.”

They took their bounty off the beaten path and found a tree with plenty of shade still, golden leaves scattered all over the grass. They started settling down beneath it and a Beta man ran up to them with an armful of roughspun blankets.

“A copper and you can settle and enjoy the fruits of the Festival without the risk of eating a leaf,” the man smiled at his own silly joke and got a small chuckle out of Ray.

Ryan dug two silver coins out of his satchel and handed them over. “One for us and the next three couples to look for a spot.”

“Very generous of you, sir, thank you!” the man gave them the best blanket he had and bowed low. “May the Eight smile upon you.”

“And on you,” Ray replied with an air of dismissal, squinting at the lord. He didn't speak again until the merchant was out of earshot and the blanket had been laid out. “Ryan, you certainly aren't frugal. You should have tighter purse strings or I'm afraid you'll regret this day.”

“Never, not with such beautiful company,” Ryan hushed, grinning when he got the Omega to truly blush. He plopped down on the blanket and took the boy's hand, tugging it. “Sit and eat with me, my garden flower. Have your fill.”

Ray slowly sat down, frowning. “This is much too much for just us...”

“Ray,” Ryan tisked, lacing their fingers and squeezing. “When was the last time you let yourself eat, truly eat?” The Omega dropped his eyes to the blanket, shyly starting to unpack their stuffed basket. “This is a special day, is it not? Why should we deny ourselves the bounty that the gods have given us? Enjoy the fruits of the labor of your friends.”

When Ray didn't reply, he curled his finger under the boy's chin and lifted it up to meet their eyes. “I know you've gone without, I can see it in your eyes. There is a hunger that goes beyond your stomach within you. Right here, with me, let yourself be a little glutton. Let's not regret wanting to feed our souls.”

“My lord,” Ray murmured, lashes falling low. Ryan leaned over the food and brushed their lips, both starting to smile. “I hope the food is good for you. I'm sure you eat much more nicely in the castle.”

“Right here, with you, will be the best meal of my life.” Ryan plucked up one of the skewers and handed it over. “But only if you enjoy it with me.”

Ray's hunger and overflowing heart finally won and he took it. “Of course. I can't imagine anything better.”

They tore into the meat with great enthusiasm, a rumble and a purr mixing as pure satisfaction washed over them. Everything was hot and perfectly seasoned, juices running down their chins as fangs tore into cooked flesh. The buns were soft and flavorful, disappearing in just two great bites.  The flaky, creamy meat pies threatened to collapse in their palms but they were so good that every crumb and drop of gravy was licked all up. They'd meet eyes and laugh, cheeks ruddy and lips shining.

“Delicious,” Ryan hummed as he bit into the peach, juice pouring down his chin and speckling his shirt. He chuckled and lapped at the fuzzy skin and at his fingers, Ray nodded eagerly and bit into his own, moaning in delight at how ripe it was. The sweetness was perfection. Ryan watched the juice roll down the boy's throat and he rumbled more loudly. “You look good enough to eat with such a glaze.”

Ray shoved his sticky palm across the Alpha's cheek and got a loud, surprised huff out of him. “Hush your silver tongue! You're so terrible.”

Ryan snickered and wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. “Hand me the cheeks.”

“This is a strange selection,” Ray mused as he handed over the damp rice paper. “Is there any particular reason why you chose these?”

“The cheeks, my dear flower, are one of the choicest bites of an animal.” Ryan unwrapped the rice paper and pinched one of the cheeks between his thumb and forefinger. “Tender, fatty, just the essence of the animal. If we were so inclined to barbaric practices, the cheeks of you or I would be our prime slices.” Ray shuddered and he dialed back those particularly dark habits, filing them away for something much later or not at all. “But these are from a pig, and they seem to be grilled with a splash of dark liquor. Very delicious that way. Here.”

Ryan held it up for Ray and the boy went to take it but he pulled back, grin turning cheeky. Ray rolled his eyes but he was smiling as he leaned in and took a bite. Ryan eased it between his lips and he moaned in surprise joy, chewing it slowly before swallowing it all.

“My word.”

“Isn’t it delicious?”

“Beyond that!” Ray filed that knowledge away for the next time his father slaughtered one of the beasts for their dinner. He grabbed the clay pot and lifted the lid. “Now before we realize we’re stuffed like greedy younglings, you must try this.”

Ryan rumbled curiously but with great interest. Steam rose from the hot pastry and it smelled like a tart, sweet heaven. The top was shining, the glaze had melted into an almost translucent perfection that coated the entire top. They’d been generous with it.

Ray dug in with his fingers and plucked off a gooey, fluffy bit. He ate it up, sighing in relief when it was just as delicious as he’d remembered from last year when his father had splurged to buy him a pot. He plucked off another bite sized piece and held it out to Ryan. “I think you’ll love it.”

Ryan felt a heat at the tips of his ears, glancing around. There had been eyes on them all day if just because some strange Alpha was with their new Omega boy, their strong flower that grew so lovely in the walls of the castle.

“I insist,” Ray teased.

Ryan took the boy’s wrist in a loose fist and lapped between his fingers, sweeping up the warm bread. It melted on his tongue and he hummed, tongue darting out again to carefully lick the sugar from the boy’s fingertips. Ray laughed, shyly averting his eyes and taking back his fingers. “I-Is it good, my lord?”

Ryan closed his eyes and savored the taste along with his flower’s hopeful little voice. “Yes, it’s lovely. May I have some more?”

“Of course!” Ray chirped. He tried to slide the pot into Ryan’s lap but the man protested, sliding away the basket of scraps before scooting up close to him. Their legs touched now, one hand bracing behind the Omega’s back as he leaned in, brushing his cheek over his shoulder. His rumble was soothing, making the boy relax. “My lord…”

“I only desire it straight from your hand, my flower.” Ryan nosed under his jaw, brushing his lips along the flesh that hid his scent gland. “Spoil me from your fingertips.”

“Then…maybe you should lay in my lap.” Ray blushed hotly and dared to brush his fingers over the man’s chin, bristles nipping at him. “Let me spoil you proper and gaze upon your face.”

Ryan startled at the low heat in the boy’s voice. “Ray…”

“I so rarely get to look upon you as long as I desire,” Ray continued, heart fluttering though his voice steadied. “Spoil me as I spoil you.”

Ryan obeyed the Omega’s insistent hands and laid down in the grass, resting his head upon a firm thigh. He went lax, sighing in bliss as he got so much of the Omega’s decadent scent with being so close and got to look up at the canopy of the tree. Sunlight spilled through the leaves and touched at Ray’s hair, catching in his eyes and kissing at his shapely mouth. Ryan was sure the other could hear how hard his heart was beating and would know, would see through his facade.

Ryan feared then that he was not just a hidden king, but a simple mortal man who was falling deeply in love.

Ray was admiring him as well and he started tearing off small bits of the pastry, sticky fingers letting it press to the Alpha’s lips. Ryan ate the little morsels with happy sighs and pleased rumbles. Sometimes he would take Ray’s wrist and hold his hand in place so he could lick at his fingertips, bringing them between his lips to suckle. He expected more blushes and bashful protests but Ray started to purr, lashes fluttering as he enjoyed the contact. He brushed back blonde bangs back and let his thumb trace an arc over his smooth forehead.

“My mother would have loved you,” Ray whispered out of nowhere, heart swollen.

Ryan licked the dab of cherry preserve off his lower lip, touched. He could only imagine the kind of Omega his mother had been, how loving and kind she must have been. He could imagine a dark haired Dornish beauty with Ray’s hair and bright smile, his warm disposition, with calloused hands and doe eyes that held all the exotic gleam of a tiger’s eye gem. A rich laugh, grace in her steps, and the talented hands of a mother that could fix anything with some tender loving care. He’d heard about her briefly in one of their garden trysts but he would love to learn all there was to this great woman.

Ray tried to cover up his vulnerability by pulling off another piece of pastry, bringing it to his lips. Ryan cupped his wrist and ran his thumb along the tender inside, rumbling very lowly. “I would have been honored to meet your mother. One day the two of us must sit down alone and you must tell me everything about her.”

Ray nodded, eyes glistening but not with sorrow.

Ryan took the pastry between his teeth and swallowed. He sat up and sealed their lips, sugar warming between them. The Omega chittered and pressed into the kiss, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and licking at his lower lip. They lost themselves in the contact, sighing against mouths and fingers roaming chastely.

“Gods,” Ryan huffed, bumping their foreheads, eyes closed. “I will never get tired of kissing you.”

Ray let their noses touch. “Ryan, can I ask you something?”

His stomach twisted up. “Of course.”  
  


“Are you going to finish the rest of this or can I be a little piglet and devour it?”

Ryan collapsed onto the blanket, laughing so hard from his belly that it quickly started to hurt. Ray laughed with him, patting at his side teasingly and apologizing for his terrible joke.

“No, no, it was brilliant. Let’s polish off this treat and go walk off our gluttony.”

“You have the best plans.”

o0o

Geoff was a hit with the local men. They were cautious at first because of his marks, his loud laugh, but when he settled at the tables outside the largest tavern in town he drew a crowd. The barmaid kept bringing out great mugs of frothy ale at his request and coin and he flirted outright, tipping her graciously. The coin gathered some attention. A Beta man came up and offered a game, holding out a well used deck of cards.

Geoff felt like he was back in his aunt’s village.

Others gathered to watch as they played. They took bets on Geoff’s slick style and would’ve been upset when he lost except for the Alpha had such spirit, such a boisterous laugh and a good humor that they couldn’t. The games turned bigger and less coin was put into the pot as the had more fun. The ale came in pitchers now and Geoff bought a round or two, others joining in.

Once they saw him down three mugs and not so much as flinch, they warmed up. Geoff had a sparkling wit and a talent for storytelling and once he opened up they were infatuated. He took off his overshirt and showed off his ink, explaining the markings to anyone who asked. Some symbols of his homeland, his family, others of battles he’d been in, but one mark he kept quiet on. That of a bull with bloody marks that seemed to be climbing his ribs. It was pure black with red lines in its side, with horns that reared up.

A mark of Ryan, a symbol as permanent as his loyalty.

o0o

The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky and they were fused at the hip. They kept close and shared quiet, intimate laughter, drunk off good food and the scent of one another. Ryan kept peppering his cheek and jaw in kisses, keeping a hand at his waist or letting their arms twine.

“Anything you want is yours,” Ryan promised, regality seeping into his tone. He brushed his cheek through dark tresses and drank in the tiny chitters. “I’ll buy my flower whatever he desires.”  
  
“Ryan!” Ray giggled, pushing playfully at the man’s arm as it wrapped around his waist. His nape was nuzzled and he got red-cheeked. “You’ll drain your purse and then where will you be?”

“With a precious Omega who has all the good things he deserves.” Ryan kissed his ear and nodded toward a close shop. “Then what do you need, my flower? New boots? Tools? Fabric?” He took up the Omega’s hand and kissed it. “New gloves?”

Ray flushed and turned his face away. “The ale went to your head.”

“Never, it was only a drop,” Ryan promised. “Then let’s look for a fine gift for your father before we go to meet with him.”

They took another long lap around the stalls, regretfully leaving one another’s sides. Ryan purchased another basket and stole away to purchase a soft, strong blanket that would go in Ray’s nest, if he so wanted it. It cost him a handful of silver but the red patches on it would match the Omega so well. He tucked it into his basket and picked out a new wineskin for Geoff, a scarf for Kara, a leather bound journal for Hullum, and for Gus he bought a jar of cherry preserves. The gifts covered up the blanket nicely and he met back with Ray with no suspicions.

The Omega hadn’t been idle in their small separation. Ray had caught Ryan eyeing a stand of figurines. The Alpha had been careful with his touch, fingers dancing over all the tiny animals and scenes and eventually letting himself settle one fingertip upon the head of a clay figurines that was baked and covered in polish. It was a bull with his head proudly raised and swirls of design cut into the muscular body. It was a very serious picture except for the green and red ribbons tied to each horn. The Alpha had let out the cutest little sound, cooing at the statue before moving on. Ray doubled back and was more than relieved to see the piece was still there.

“How much for this?” Ray asked, a little out of breath from bolting so fast back to the stand.

“Three silvers.”

Ray frowned sharply, mentally counting the coins he had. “Two silver.”

“Three,” the man grunted back.

“It’s not even painted,” Ray countered.

The man’s wife jabbed him hard in the ribs. “Give it to him.”

The man sighed and softened up. “Two is fine, son.”

Ray’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Thank you. Can I have it wrapped up as a gift?”

The wife bumped her husband out of the way and was all sweet smiles. She lovingly wrapped the little bull up with a sprig of small white flowers, laying it in a box that looked a little quick-made but snapped shut well. He shook it a little when she handed it over and was glad to see the rice paper didn’t allow too much movement.

“Thank you again!”

Ryan and Ray met up again, one with a basket of gifts and the other with a new lump in his satchel. They exchanged secret smiles and Ray took the man’s free hand, leading him down the row of stalls to one in particular that was set under the shade of a branchy tree. There were trays of baked sweet rolls lathered in fresh cream as well as pots full of salted, dried strips of meat. A small crowd had gathered, mostly children, and little fingers were covered in sweet cream as they devoured the treats. Ray Sr. manned the stall along with their Beta farm hand, Trevor, and they both beamed as the two approached.

“There you are,” Trevor teased. “All the little ones have been asking about you. And their mothers have been gossiping about you and your Alpha companion.”

“Yes,” his father gruffed good-naturedly. “Something about an Alpha in your lap.”

Ray colored up. “No, Papa! It wasn’t like that. We were only-” His father’s laughter made him cut off and he realized then that he was only teasing. “Papa, don’t scare me like that.”

“I know Raymond means everything to his father, I would never let any harm or dishonor come to him,” Ryan promised, taking a sheathed dagger out of his basket and handing it to Ray Sr. “For you, sir. The blade is high end metalwork. I hope you never encounter a time when you’re forced to use it.”

“By the Eight,” Ray Sr. murmured, taking the gift and popping it open to see the shining edge for himself. It was as big as his hand and curved well for fighting. He loved it instantly. “This is...too grand a gift, my lord.”

“Shh, please,” Ryan hushed, pushing it back toward him. “It’s yours. A gift to thank you for letting me steal your son for such an important day. It should be a day of family so I’m grateful.”

Ray Sr. looked at him so sharply that the hidden king was sure he would be called out, exposed, but the man only nodded and offered his hand. They shook and he felt some relief. “Thank you. It’s damn fine steel.”

Ryan chuckled, trying to calm his heart. “Your blacksmith imported the best, I was lucky to have snatched it when I did.”

Ray looked between them and couldn’t hide his pleased smile. “Papa, may we leave our stuff here? We should find Ryan’s friends. I wanted to find the big bonfire and show them the music.”

“Of course, give it here,” Ray Sr. insisted, holding his hands out. Ryan passed over his basket and Ray gave his satchel up, lightening their load. “I won’t put a limit on your good time, son, but don’t travel the King’s Road without someone to protect you.”

“He’ll have three strong Alphas dropping him off,” Ryan assured him.

Ray Sr. sighed. “That is quite a relief. Have fun, all of you.”

A little girl ran up and tapped her hands on the counter of the stand. “Do you still have the magic dolls? Please, please, please!”

“We have plenty of blessed dolls, little one,” Trevor promised. He reached behind the stand and produced a corn husk doll, passing it over to her. She squealed in delight and clutched it lovingly.

“Oh thank you!” She turned her beaming gaze to Ray. “My big brother says you bless them every year and good things happen to people who have them. Thank you, Ray!”

Ray squeaked when he was clamped into a tight hug around the legs, wobbling forward a bit but managing to hug her back as much as he could. She ran off just as quickly as she’d shown up and he chuckled. “Goodness. I’m glad they like them so much.”

“Did you make those?” Ryan inquired.

“Papa and I did.”  
  
“But Ray says a prayer over each one and it seems his lips are pressed to the ears of the Eight,” Ray Sr. stated with pride. “Just like his mother. Our little conduit.”

“Blasphemous,” Ray shot, tangling his arm with Ryan’s. “Let’s go find your friends. They must be a little worried by now.”

Ray Sr. bust into a belly laugh. “I’ll see you later, boys. Be careful.”

Ryan’s looks of surprise at the formality made him laugh even harder. Before, Ray Sr. would’ve been afraid of the king, but seeing him soft as fluff next to his son had softened the Royal Gardener. Our king will take care of him.

“He looks familiar,” Trevor mused aloud.

“Just another Alpha,” Ray Sr. dismissed. “I’m not sure how much longer he’ll stay but he’s nice to have around.”

o0o

They treated themselves and got more fresh pastries, these coated in sugar and staining their faces in sweetness.

The bonfire seemed to be the place to go for the youth of the village. The closer they got to the worn path that would lead to the side field where the livelier festivities had started, the more of Ray’s friends they met. Some were fellow Omegas that greeted him by bussing noses, laughing and clasping hands. It was honestly the sweetest thing Ryan had ever seen, a strange custom that held a light hearted intimacy akin to kissing. Beta friends clasped wrists with him and patted his shoulder, greeting him and politely acknowledging Ryan. They were quick catch-ups, friends who he had grown up with in the village and attended the lectures of traveling philosophers and had learned instruments with.

Then the Alpha pup came.

“Danny!”

Danny. Ryan scowled at the childish name and the pure joy in Ray’s call. The pup was lithe, all limbs and curly hair that bounced as he lopped toward them. Like a deer, and here Ryan was without his bow and arrow. The Alpha swooped Ray up into a tight hug and started to rumble, holding him close and even shaking him a little. Ray laughed and kicked his feet, the tips of his boots barely brushing the dirt. The answering chitter had little jealous jabs poking Haywood right in the stomach.

“Look at you!” Danny declared, pulling away so he could look the Omega and set him back on his feet. “I heard from my mother you’d presented and you look so beautiful. You hair and skin is so much softer…” The Alpha trailed off, fingertips trailing through raven locks. “You’ve filled out completely.”

Ray’s laugh was loud and almost crude, a guffaw. “You mean I fattened up like a calf!”

Danny snorted in amusement. “No, no, not like that at all!”

He shoved the older man. “Liar!”

“Never!” Danny promised.

“How are you?” Ray kissed both his cheeks, patting his shoulder. “You’ve gained some muscle. Is working with your uncle all you’d thought it’d be?”

“The farm is doing so well,” Danny promised. “I’m faster than the cows now and I think having an extra hand to treat them right has made better milk.”

Ray beamed. “If you treat them with love, they will bless you.”

Danny’s smile was just as bright and he dragged him back into a hug, this time scrubbing his cheek into his hair. “I’ve missed you so much. I wish I had been there when you presented, I hate to think of you alone.”

Ray laughed and let the Alpha nuzzle into his hair, remembering what Ryan said about scenting. He snuggled into Danny’s chest and let those hands run over him, leaving that citrusy sweet scent behind to mix with the glaze like smell of his own. A small chitter met a strengthening rumble and Ryan quietly seethed.

“He wasn’t alone,” Ryan growled out.

Danny startled at the rough sound but it only made Ray let out a giggle. “Ryan, be nice. Danny, this is my good friend Ryan. He helped me when I presented, he got me home and gave me new nesting material. He even got me a fine medical man who I count as one of my good friends.”  
  
“By the Eight,” Danny breathed out, dark eyes wide and set upon the older Alpha who was bristling. “That must have fetched quite a lot. More than a bag of silver, I’m sure.”

Ryan’s lips quirked in a half smirk. “A handful of gold. There is nothing too grand for my Ray. He deserved only the best treatment.”

Ray was knew he was naive in many aspects, he could accept that, but there was no denying the heat that was in Ryan’s eyes. He tried to laugh it off but he was quick to saunter back over and wrap his arms around one of the Alpha’s own. He nosed at Ryan’s shoulder, humming pleasantly in hopes of soothing the ruffled feathers. “I grew up with Danny. He’s one of my best friends. He works a few villages over with his uncle. They supply a lot of the training armor the castle uses.”

Ryan’s lips were pursed tight. “How useful.”

Danny started to posture, to silently stand up to the other Alpha, but he cowered under the flash of thick fang. “You two look busy. I was just heading off to find Susanna for a dance by the bonfire. It’s getting colder, are you two going there as well?”  
  


“We are.” Ray took the older Alpha’s hand and squeezed it. “I want to show Ryan the music. How long are you in town?”

Danny was already sort of dancing past them with a nervous smile. “The rest of the week.”

“Come by the farm soon for dinner, bring your mother, we can all catch up,” Ray insisted, waving to him. “Don’t mind him, he’s just grumpy. See you in a moment!”

Ray huffed and smacked the Alpha in the chest, knocking his smug expression away. “I hope you’re happy. Danny has been a good friend since I was old enough to go into town.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Ryan protested, trying to put on an innocent look but only getting another smack. “Ray!”

“Ryan,” Ray needled back. “Danny is my friend.”

“He was fawning over you,” Ryan insisted, a bitter bite to his words. “If I hadn’t been here he would’ve asked you to accompany him, I’m sure.”

Ray laughed suddenly. “You think he would’ve asked me for some kisses behind one of the houses?”

“I think he would’ve asked you for a whole lot more if given the chance,” Ryan grumbled. He looked so childish and huffy that Ray’s anger melted into amusement. “You smell of him.”  
  
“Do I?” Ray fluttered his lashes. He took Ryan’s hand again and tugged it. “Come on.”

“Ray…?”

“Just follow me.”

Ryan felt warmth pooling in his belly as he let the Omega take him towards the stone buildings. There were banners and goods strung up in between two of them and the couple slipped behind them, Ray grinning as the realization of their sudden privacy hit the man’s face. The sunlight barely touched here and the shadows cooled his irritation.

“No Alphas here to share me with,” Ray promised with a knowing smile.

Ryan let out a stunted laugh. “I don’t mean to suffocate you, Ray. I’m afraid I’m jealous where I have no right to be.”

Feeling bold, Ray let himself lean against the stone wall and crooked a finger at him. “Hush that false humility and come scrub his scent away like I know you want to.”

Ryan felt a flare of pride and heat seeing the Omega so brazen and he wasted no time boxing him in. Ryan almost towered over him, one hand on each side to brace against the stone. Ray’s breath hitched and he slumped against the wall, staring at him, waiting. “You indulge me.”

“I won’t pretend that your jealousy is anything but adorable,” Ray teased, fingers lightly skimming the man’s side as he started to slowly tilt his head to the side to show off the line of his throat. “I invited you to accompany me. I won’t walk away with another Alpha.”

Ryan’s palm slid over the boy’s cheek and he cradled his head, rumbling very softly. “If you wanted another, I would not stand in your way.”

Ray fisted his collar and dragged him closer, their noses brushing, his voice pitched low. “You are the only Alpha I want to touch me like this.”

Ryan swallowed a growl and caught the Omega in a kiss. Ray kept a tight hold on his shirt and surrendered to the kiss, lips parting happily. Ryan savored the boy’s sweet kiss and his hands pried off the stone and started to wander, gliding over sun-warm skin and dipping in to rub over his waist. Ray shivered and pushed up into it, breath catching sharply when thumbs brushed over his chest and swiped over his covered nipples. They stiffened and suddenly were overly sensitive as they brushed against his tunic. They dipped under the hem but his hands drifted down once more, cupping his hips and squeezing.

Ryan took his lips away and the Omega whined for them back but he had other goals. He cupped Ray’s nape and the boy went liquid but he caught him, wrapping an arm around his waist and holding him close so he didn’t collapse.

“I love this,” Ray rasped, fingers weak as they tried to grasp onto the man.

“Your sweet spot,” Ryan murmured against his jaw, kissing it sweetly. “A little secret of yours I found, hm? Something just for me.”

Ray’s mouth dropped open and his eyes went glassy, nodding as much as he could. Ryan was careful as he nuzzled into the Omega’s hair, wiping away the citrus scent and replacing it with his own warm one. There was a little sound at first and couldn’t tell what it was but as it grew stronger he realized Ray was purring, low and sweet. He grinned and mouthed over Ray’s throat, tasting the vibration. He licked at the jumping pulse, the hidden scents nodes that threatened to swell under the attention, and back up to his mouth for a slower kiss.

Their heads were swimming as their scents mixed. Once Danny’s scent was gone, they started to laugh. Light at first, nuzzling one another and hugging close. Ray playfully nipped the man’s lip and they shared grins, fingers skimming over cheeks and through hair to leave heavy trails of scent behind.

“You know,” Ryan started, brushing a thumb under his chin. “You’ve got a bit of sugar left over, I’m afraid.”

Ray’s eyes went wide, his flush now from embarrassment. “What? Where?”

Ryan swiped his tongue across the boy’s lips and got a tiny squeak. “I got it.”

Ray batted at him like a cat, averting his eyes. “You’re terrible.”

The Alpha nosed at his cheek. “You’re sweeter than honey, finer than wine. You are the nectar of the gods poured into such a small form...how lucky I am to be able to taste it.”

Ray’s mouth dropped open and he positively swooned against the stone, every reasonable thought flying out of his head to be replaced with spun sugar. He fisted his hand in the man’s tunic and tried to hide his tremble. “Spoiler. Silver tongued demon.”

Ryan rumbled soothingly. “Hush, my rose. It’s only the truth.”

Ray broke into a brilliant smile and turned back to meet him, foreheads pressing together as they shared a breathless little chuckle. More innocent kisses were shared and they calmed, the swell of passion between them fizzling into simmering adoration.

“We should go,” Ryan breathed out, a little regretful. He didn’t want to share Ray again. He wanted to stay here and bask in his light a little longer.

“Soon,” Ray hummed.

Their fingers met and laced and they breathed in one another.

o0o

The sun was starting to dip dangerously close to the horizon when they finally pried themselves out of the alley and back onto the streets. Attentive mothers were mounting up poles with lanterns all along the dirt road and stalls had their own oil lamps. It would not grow truly dark for a bit yet but the town was preparing to go all night, to enjoy drink and good food even by the light of a flame.

Ray led Ryan further down the path but the Alpha couldn’t stop himself from plucking out a few coppers to purchase from a traveling Omega woman. She was plump with child and rosy cheeked, a high arrange of flower crowns stacked upon her head and on her wrists and in the basket she carried.

“Do you have roses?”

“Right here, love.” She gently plucked up a circlet from her basket and somehow the rich red blossoms were not even bruised. It was so beautiful and perfect that he kissed her cheek and slipped her a gold coin, hushing her protests and wishing her a good day as he took the crown.

“Goodness,” Ray tittered when the Alpha laid the crown upon his brow. The roses looked even more gorgeous laying in raven hair and set against the bronze of his skin. There was no more perfect image in all the Realm, he was sure. Ryan wanted the Omega painted a dozen times and put in every room in his castle, wanted to share the perfect beauty.

“Beautiful,” Ryan declared.

Ray gave a shy spin, flashing a smile. “Truly?”

It was supposed to be a silly little tease but Ryan nodded firmly. “Truly.”

The serious tone made him flush darkly.

“Devil. Hurry, let’s try and find your friends.”

“If you insist.”

o0o

They went down the beaten path and the bonfires soon came into view. There were three large ones going with crowds of young people. Small bands at each one, dancing pairs branching off from the main circle of merry dancers. Single merchants sold fruits and candies, flowers, wreaths of wildflowers similar to Ray’s crown but all decorated with beads and ribbons. Some had antlers, others just pure ribbon. Alphas bought them by the handful so that almost every Omega could have one, to help them feel beautiful on such a special day whether they were mated or not. There was romance in the air but mostly there was love, a sense of belonging, of family whether by blood or not. There were tables and tents set up for more food and drink, for cards and dice, and among those tables were his Alpha knights.

Ryan caught both their gazes and waved, getting nods of acknowledgement. The couple sauntered over to an empty bench that was far enough away from the bonfire to avoid the happy dancers and smoke but close enough to keep the chill away. Together they sat and watched the dancers. Ray leaned in and quietly named and pointed out his friends, explaining certain dances and costumes and answering any questions about their customs.

Burnie shelled out the coins he’d lost in the last round of dice and clapped hands with the men he’d played, giving a cheek kiss to one particularly busty woman who had robbed them all blind with her quiet skill and boisterous flirting. They asked him to stay, to play another round and have another mug of ale, but he politely declined and expressed how much fun he’d had.

“Come by the Bragg farm sometime,” one of the Beta men stated, shaking his hand. “I’ll try to win some of my money back.”

Burnie laughed and shot him a grin. “You can try.”

“And a warm meal, of course.”

Burnie felt something in his chest melt and he managed to nod. “Thank you, friend. I might take you up on that.”

“Please do.”

Burnie made his way toward the bonfire where his king was sat and plopped down on a crate to watch the little scene unfold. He had to admit that they made a handsome couple. Ryan taller, more broad, and Ray slotting perfectly into his side. All thoughts of them being sinful and Ray seen only as a bed warmer faded out like smoke as he watched the two gently brush noses. Framed by the bonfire, Ryan almost bashfully reached out and took hold of the Omega’s hand. Ray looked away only briefly before turning back and giving him a peck on the cheek.

It was almost sickeningly sweet, and chaste. Ryan touched the boy with reverence, worshipfully tender, and he’d never really seen his king treat someone in such a way. Not even beautiful foreign royalty got that sincere smile or those lovestruck eyes.

“It’s real,” Burnie sighed out with a relieved little chuckle at the end. Wonderful.

Two of the bands formed together and they picked up a louder, lively tune. Violins, reed, and percussion all belted out something out of a fairytale and the magic seized the people. Laughter bubbled up all around and more gathered around the bonfire, latching hands or arms and making circles. They were bouncing with such lively spirit that they looked to be floating, weightless, taken in the spirit.

Ray cooed and suddenly stood, beaming down at the Alpha. “Dance with me?”

Ryan hesitated. “I don’t really know these kinds of dances.”

“You don’t really need to know, you just feel it,” Ray promised, glancing at the dangers with yearning. “I’ll teach you as we go.” He put on a pleading pout. “Please? Pretty please? It will be fun, I promise.”

With Ray so sweet and in his flower crown, Ryan could not resist. He took the boy’s hand and nodded. “Don’t let me fumble out there.”

Ray squeezed his hand. “Only as much as would be amusing, my lord. Come!”

Ryan gave a startled noise as he was dragged up off the bench and into the throng of people. Even at court he never danced much though it was always the perfect way to charm courtiers and diplomats and have them spin out their secrets like delicate webs as he seduced them with his strong scent, the weight of his hands on their waist, the hint of his lips against their cheeks. Here it was all energy and messy excitement. They muscled their way into a circle and a stranger, an Omega girl, clasped his other hand and just like that they were swirling in the lively circle. Ray’s laughter was so clear and crisp and it filled Ryan with confidence. He threw himself into it, into the rhythm, and it felt surprisingly good.

For one of the first times in his life, Ryan felt connected to his people.

The music was infecting everyone of all ages. Children wiggled out of the grips of their guardians and hopped around, darting between dancers and getting underfoot in their giddy need to participate. Elders clapped along, watching fondly with weathered faces and laugh lines deep enough to measure how many Market Festivals they’d enjoyed in their lives. Dancing meant so much, from the court to the peasant festivals to the dance halls of the south. Dancing was courtship, was skill, was everything to find your soul mate and to please the gods.

Destiny wove its web in the wake of measured steps and sweeping skirts.

Ryan was just getting into the rhythm and losing himself in the excitement of the moment, laughing deep in his belly, when the circles suddenly broke up in a silent queue that he missed. He didn’t flounder for more than a moment before Ray was in his arms, taking his hand and leading him a bit of a jaunty dance that Ryan had seen done before.

“You lot have boundless energy!” Ryan bellowed, overflowing with some unnameable kind of exhilaration.

Ray tossed his head back and laughed. They swirled around amongst the pairs, eyes following them and people whispering amongst themselves about how handsome a couple they made.

“This is a little tricky, you need to lift me on the swell,” Ray said quickly, whistling along to the music before nodding. “Now!”

Ryan startled when everyone lifted their partner on the high point of the music and he quickly lifted Ray up, getting a delighted squeal out of the Omega. Ray was nothing in his arms and he spun him around and back down into his arms, hugging him around the waist and brushing their cheeks with another twirl.

“That was so good,” Ray assured him, latching hands again and catching the dance again. Ryan preened at the compliment, basking in the Omega’s praise. “We cross clap on the half measure just about-”

The pairs around them briefly paused to clap hands, cross clap with their partner, and repeated with the second hand. Ryan didn’t fumble this time, Ray grinning when the man got it perfectly before they swept back into the dance. “That was excellent!”

Ryan made a show of rolling his eyes. “I know what a half measure is.”

“Oh, look at you, fancy lord knows music,” Ray needled.

A woman came up and whipped Ray right out of his arms and into Danny’s embrace, the two disappearing amongst the other couples. Ryan huffed but the woman wedged herself into his embrace, dragging him into a reluctant dance. He searched for Ray in the crowd, wanting his boy back, but an Alpha rumble caught his attention. The woman was beautiful, there was no doubt. Long black hair and cattish green eyes with a girlish, disarming smile.

“You’re the Alpha that Ray brought,” she tisked, looking him over. “You’re handsome enough I suppose. He seems smitten.”

Ryan pursed his lips, mind whirring until it clicked into place. “Susanne. A pleasure.”

“Ryan,” Susanne gave back, flashing her fangs. “Take care of our little Ray. He means the world to us. It would be a shame if you were to hurt him.”

He gave her a tight spin but her fierce expression didn’t change. “Is that a threat, my lady?”

“It is,” she promised sweetly. She reached out without looking and snagged a passing couple, and to Ryan’s surprise it was Danny and his boy. Ray rolled his eyes but gave her a cheek kiss before taking back his partner. The other pair spun away, Danny still looking so flustered.

“I’m sorry about that,” Ray apologized, catching the hidden king’s full attention once more. “Suzy is sharp. Did she say anything?”

“She was just being protective of the town’s rose.” Ryan enjoyed the boy’s blush more than he should have. “I don’t mind.”

The music swelled up and Ryan lifted the Omega without hesitation, throwing him around before curling him back down into his arms. They met in a brief kiss and the scent of roses mixing with smoke, sugar, and ash. They melted into one another, forgetting the dance, and kissed again more deeply. Ryan cupped his cheek and the small of his back and licked softly at Ray until the boy’s lips parted.

Another giggling couple bumped into them and they jolted out of their moment, sharing embarrassed grins before trotting back into the thick of things. Ryan swept them further away from the band before speaking up again with a flirtatious flare. “Maybe one day, my flower, I’ll teach you some of the dances I know.”

“That would be wonderful,” Ray replied, starting to nod but then it hit him. He sucked in a breath and his ears burned red when he realized the implication. “Oh.”

Ryan winked and the Omega chittered, popping him in the shoulder.

“You’re such a terrible flirt!”

“Really? I think I’m quite good at it.”

o0o

By the time they staggered out of the dancing circle and Ray’s friends who wanted to compliment them, to steal him for quick dances, Geoff and Burnie were waiting for them.

“You two are quite a sight,” Geoff stated, cheeks ruddy from drink but his eyes clear.

“You two should give it a try,” Ray insisted.

Geoff looked to Burnie with a cheeky grin but the older Alpha just brushed him off. “I think I’m much too old for such a bold dance.”

As if on cue, a group of men called out to them. “Oi, Lads! You fancy a game a small game of mob?”

“Mob?” Burnie repeated slowly, trying to figure out exactly what they meant.

“It’s a mud game with a pig bladder, you spoiled castle-boy,” Geoff bit mercilessly with a grin, waving back at them. “ ‘Course!”

The group of men shot them smiles and gestured the to follow. “We’re on the other side of the hill!”

A spark went off in Ryan’s eyes and he seemed to puff up. “I’ve never heard of this? Is it fun?”

“So much fun,” Geoff promised. looking pleadingly at Ray. “Will you hold our valuables while we play?”

Ray seemed surprised but nodded. “Well of course.”

Burnie looked between the Alphas with growing panic. “Wait, what? No, no, wait, we shouldn’t-”

Ryan and Geoff handed their bags off to Ray and took off running, licking their chops like they were running down their dinner. Burnie resisted the shout of my king! that tried to escape and instead ran off after them, shouting their names to try and slow them. Ray blinked dully at the scene before springing to life, running off in the chase.

With as many Alphas as there were to join the game, it would be interesting.

o0o

Ray was joined by Danny’s friend Arin on the sidelines of the pegged square that had been thrown into the earth to mark off a play area. The earth was softer here and they’d gotten more than a dozen players, eight on each side, and most were thick-armed Betas and Alphas. There was an inflated, sewn pig’s stomach in the middle of the field and they collided together to seize it and take it to the colored flag area on each end of the field. Getting there gained your team a point.

Ryan was explained this very briefly on the field by Geoff and one of the other Alphas. “Just fight for the stomach. That’s all you have to do. Hit, bite, wrestle, make ‘em bleed a bit if you have to. We just try not to break anything. Everything else is free game.”

Ryan stared in obvious fascination. “Really?”

“Oh yeah.”

A deep horn bellowed and the game started, both teams running at each other full force.

Burnie bounced nervously along the sidelines. “Ryan, please! This is an awful idea!” The Alpha nearly tore out his hair as someone tackled the hidden king to the ground and audibly knocked the wind out of him. “You’re going to get hurt.”

“That’s kind of the point,” Arin laughed, catching a sour look from the Alpha. “What? They need a release and what’s a festival without a few bruises?”

Burnie huffed and kept watching the game, eyes tracking Ryan’s every move.

“Why don’t you jump in there and protect your friend?”

Burnie made a rude gesture and Arin barked out a laugh.

“I think it’s good for the knotheads to have some time to show off,” Arin insisted, nudging Ray. “Omegas love these things, don’t they?”

“I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” Ray protested. There were quite a gathering of Omegas on the edge of the field, smiling amongst each other and talking about giving tokens like it was a jousting match. They waved to the competitors and some waved back only to get tackled or shoved out of the way in the violent mess of bodies.  

Burnie stalked the sidelines, puffing, ready to drag Ryan out. Geoff swung by and grabbed him by the collar, “Got another one for you guys!”

“Geoff!” Burnie yelped, staggering quickly under the pull and getting tossed into the grass next to the other team. They greeted him so happily that he couldn’t tell them no. He looked over at Ryan and the hidden king was grinning, if he had a tail it would’ve been wagging. The Alpha gave in with a heavy sigh and they tugged him up off the ground. What better way to watch out for him than be on the other team?

The game got muddy quick with so many boots digging into the soft ground, tearing up grass and slinging filth with each quick dodge. Ryan threw himself into it completely - he shoved and threw elbows and dove hard for the squishy “ball” with everything he had. Every tackle stained his clothes and threatened to cake him in mud, threatened to bruise his ribs, but he loved it. The physical, rough contact without the threat of his life or his crown was exhilarating. These men knew not who he was and they were blatantly unafraid to harm him. Fists flew at him and caught him in the chin, the sides, in the back to get to him to let go of the pig’s stomach.

Here he was just another man, another Alpha, and he basked in the pain that came along with that. Every punch he threw made him laugh, and every one he received was taken in good grace.

But Burnie kept trying to stop him, getting close and begging him to leave the match before he snapped a limb. Ryan tolerated the coddling from his Lord Commander for two points before he got fed up and knocked the Alpha flat on his back. Burnie yelped and landed straight in a well of mud, and a swift kick at the ground sent another splash of it up across his face. Ryan grinned at the sight.

“Get out of my way, Burns,” Ryan growled playfully, eyes lit up with the spirit of competition.

An answering growl surprised him and he watched the Alpha wipe the dirt from his face and show off a pair of blazing blue eyes. “It’s on now.”

The game lit up with renewed energy. Ray watched and bit at his thumb as Ryan and Burnie collided on the field, shoving one another and tackling each other into the mud. They met like bulls, clashing horns and shoulders and showing off thick fangs. At times they forgot where the ‘ball’ was and went after one another, bodies smacking firmly along with low growls as they tried to take each other down. Ray chittered worriedly but lots of Omegas were cheering for it, proclaiming their favored and promising kisses for winners.

Blood mixed with muck and sweat and both teams fought like their lives depended on it, sometimes it looked like it.

At ten points, the game was called. Ryan’s team won by two points but both groups looked like they’d been put through hell. They were drenched in chilly mud, clothes ripped in places and mouths bloody, bruises threatening to form all over their tired forms. The moment the horn bellowed, they went from fierce rivals to brothers in arms. Ryan found himself surrounded by victoriously roaring Alphas and Betas, arms slinging around him and patting his back, one larger Alpha even ruffling his hair. He startled at that, blinking slowly at the taller man before he registered the mirth-filled smile.

“You did good.”

“I did well,” Ryan corrected immediately, regretting the words as they spilled out. There was a long pause before the man belted out a hearty chuckle and clapped him on the back. Geoff was wheezing he was laughing so hard.

“I like this one! He’s a good one!”

A pair of gorgeous Omega twins came up to the rowdy group with two trays full of mugs of ale. They were greeted with kisses and cheers, mugs snatched up and clanked in a cheer. They chugged, golden streams of drink slicing down their chins and cutting through the mud clinging to their skin.

Ryan gasped roughly halfway through his mug and grinned, drugged from excitement, belting out a rough phrase that made the crowd stare at him.

“What was that?” one of the Betas asked, frowning.

“It’s, uh...Dothraki,” Ryan flustered. “It means ‘honor.”

The group stared at him with growing awe, smirks curling their mouths before they threw back their heads and belted out the word in an amateur, rough tongue. “Chomokh!”

Ryan laughed and thought of his linguistic teacher hearing the word butchered so horribly. Close enough.

With a few more victorious cheers, the group disbanded and waved as they went to join their mates, families, or to attempt to flirt with the gathered Omegas. Filthy and limping, they hobbled back the side where Ray was waiting for them with a large, throw away flannel. Their bags were safely off to the side on a stump, safe and sound.

“Look at you,” Ray chuckled fondly. Ryan let his jaw be taken in the Omega’s hand so the cloth could wipe the mud from his eyes and mouth, his nose, clearing away most of the filth so it didn’t irritate him. “You really did dive right into that, didn’t you? That took some courage.”

Ryan rumbled, still feeling the primal thrum of the match. “How so?”  
  
“A game you’ve never played with Alphas you didn’t know, still don’t know the names of, and you really cut loose.” Ray gave him the wineskin of water on his belt and the Alpha drank deeply, draining it. “How vulgar of a man in your high position to be so dirty.”

Ryan broke into a cheeky smile. “Am I too dirty for you?”

Ray shook his head. “Me? Never.”

Ryan lashed out and the Omega was worried for a moment that he would be tackled to the muddy ground. Instead he was swept up into the air, the man’s arms around his waist and hauling him up with ease. Ray laughed joyously as he was spun just as easily as he had in the dance, even if the mud was smearing against him and chilling through his thin clothes.

“Let go!” Ray protested weakly, holding on as best he could.

“Never!” Ryan swore, bringing him back down until their noses touched. They panted lightly, staring at one another as if there was no one else in the entire world. Geoff snickered at them and got a little jab in the side from Burnie. Ray was sure he would be kissed again, right there, but instead he was carefully put back down. Ryan winked at him before taking the flannel back to scrub the mud out of his hair. He tossed it to Burnie after and the man glared at him. He was twice as muddy as the hidden king and Geoff was just dripping in filth.

It was him who looked at the skyline. “The sun is about to disappear on us. Maybe we should find the horses and start our journey back home.”

“And to take our young sir back to the farm,” Burnie reminded, swiping the mud from his mouth and tasting the grit. “We promised his father.”

Ryan was reluctant to leave. He wanted to stay longer with Ray, grab some wine, maybe find a lantern and some more grilled meat and sit, talk. He didn’t want to let go of such precious moments. But when he looked to Ray to ask him to find another moment of privacy he saw the boy hiding a yawn, happy exhaustion shining in his eyes.  

“I believe you’re right,” Ryan admitted reluctantly. Though he wasn’t ready to leave, he enriched by what he got and he made himself remember this wouldn’t be the last time they’d be together. He held out his arm and the Omega gladly took it. “Shall we?”  
  
Ray nodded and fit into his side, looking pleased even as dirt smeared against him.

“And I’ll pay for ruining your nice clothes,” Ryan promised with a shy hint of shame.

“You’re too kind, my lord.”

o0o

On their way past, they stopped by the Narvaez stand and Tyler was there with Ryan’s basket and Ray’s satchel. Burnie gave the boy a silver for his trouble.

They thankfully found their carriage and horses with relative ease, the boys they’d paid excited to show that they’d taken care of it. The sun set without hesitation as they made their way to the Narvaez farm and they mounted an oil lamp on the carriage so they could see the King’s road. They passed other sleepy carriages and kept vigilant, hoods drawn up. Ryan and Ray stayed hidden in the back, curtains drawn. The Omega was wrapped up in the man’s cloak and curled in his lap, Ryan cradling him close and letting their noses brush. They talked quietly about the festival and the people they’d met, the goods they devoured, and made quiet little plans for the next Festival.

“I wish we’d had more time,” Ray murmured against the man’s cheek. “I’m sorry I’m so tired. I was up early with Papa gathering up the smoked meat.”

Ryan hushed him with a smile and rubbed his back, keeping him as warm as he could with the chilly night air seeping into the carriage. “I really will have you another Dornish outfit made. I feel awful that I’ve ruined them…”

“It’ll wash out,” the boy mumbled tiredly. “Thank you, Ryan.”

Ryan kissed his forehead and thought of all the things he could buy his boy.

Geoff and Burnie’s pleasant chatter faded out as they started to pass the scarce cow fields. It seemed as if the farm came too fast and Geoff reined the horses to a halt. “We’ve arrived, boys. Time to lace up your breeches and say goodnight.”

“You’re terrible, Geoff,” Ray giggled from within the carriage. Ryan slid past the curtain first and took the Omega’s hand to help him step out, to be a gentleman and to keep him close that much longer. “I’ll give him back in a moment.”

Ryan reached back into the carriage with his cleanest hand and carefully brought out the blanket he’d bought him. “Here. I don’t want to get it filthy but I got you this.” He got a little red-cheeked as he handed it over. “For your nest, if you want…”

“Ryan,” Ray breathed out, his smile so tender that it made the Alpha shiver from the sheer openness of it. He dragged his clean fingers over it and chittered at the softness before folding it up tighter and putting it in his satchel. “Let’s walk up a bit, I have a gift too.”

Ryan followed the Omega up the gravel path until they were out of earshot of the other Alphas (who were making a point not to listen to give them some privacy). Ray fussed, a little embarrassed as he took out the gift box he’d been trying to hide. The Alpha’s eyes lit up.

“What’s this?” Ryan rumbled, surprised but pleased.

“For you, my lord.” He placed the box into the man’s hands and blushed prettily. “My Ryan.”

Ryan went liquid at the words and opened the box with shaky, filthy fingers. Inside was porcelain-thin rice paper and he parted it with his knuckles to reveal something so precious it almost broke his heart. The little bull figurine he’d admired on a stand with its carvings and cute little ribbons, its strong jaw and attentive details.

“I saw you looking at it,” Ray admitted. “And it reminds me of you a little. Strong, but…”

“But what?” Ryan prompted.

Ray reached out and touched the green ribbon on one horn. “But soft. Even if you don’t show that side to anyone else, I see it. And it means everything to me, my lord. Your time, you attention...I feel greedy with how much I crave it, for how much I take of it.”

Ryan closed the box and put it in his satchel before cupping both sides of the boy’s jaw. He coaxed him into a chaste kiss and got a little relieved. “I would give you everything, my rose, my Ray. Every moment we spend together is gold and sometimes I have to tear myself out of that garden because it feels as if I could spend the rest of my life there and be blissful.”

Ray flushed and his scent swelled, fingers tangling in the Alpha’s shirt. He wanted to make another comment about his courtier talk, to brush it off, but the words meant so much he couldn’t. Despite the drying mud, Ray flung himself into the man’s arms and hugged him tightly. Ryan wrapped him up and pecked little kisses wherever he could reach.

“I love my gift,” Ryan whispered.

“This whole day was a gift.” Ray’s mumble was muffled but it still tugged at his heart.

“Thank you for inviting me.” Ryan pet through the Omega’s hair and they reluctantly parted. “This isn’t goodbye forever, my flower. I’ll see you in the garden soon.” They shared a smile and he patted Ray’s satchel. “And bring those honeycombs. We can gorge ourselves behind the roses, maybe steal a nap.”

Ray nodded and couldn’t stop smiling. “That sounds perfect. I’ll see you soon, then.”

Ryan took up the Omega’s hand and kissed the back of it. Ray chittered but the sound turned deeper when his hand was turned over and his inner wrist was kissed just as firmly, a brief lick making him shiver. His sound was answered by a rumble and again he wished this night would never end.

“Goodnight, my rose.”

“G-Goodnight,” Ray faltered, trying to keep his hands from shaking. “Forgive me, I’m resisting the desire to do something silly.”

Ryan laughed. “Like what?”

Ray’s ears were flushed but his lashes fell low and a sultry coyness draped over him like a veil. “Like perhaps inviting you inside for more than a warm drink.”

Ryan’s breath audibly caught and he had to force himself to let go. His mind flashed with images of laying this Omega in his comfortable nest and unwrapping him like the most beautiful present, worshipping his body with his mouth. Lick his cute nips until they were hot and swollen, dip down between those strong thighs to taste every hidden inch of him. To kiss Ray filthy and deep, to tangle up with him without a stitch between them and move together for the pure joy of it. To take pleasure in one another, to lick their fill and sink into each other and the spell of the night.

“I would beg for such a night,” Ryan’s breath shuddered. “I have to leave you now or I would spoil this night with ungentlemanly behavior, stain your lovely skin with my filthy touch.”

Ray made a soft noise, trembling under the man’s cape. “And I would beg for such a stain, my lord.”

Ryan backed away, red flags of color staining his cheeks. “It seems that if only in our dreams we shall keep each other warm tonight. Goodnight, my rose.”

Ray wrapped the cloak tighter around himself. “Goodnight, my lord.”

o0o

The guards hardly recognized the three Alphas when they arrived at the castle gate. The trio were intoxicated off the energy of the night and off a bottle of wine that Geoff had bought at the Festival. Ryan got up in the guard’s face and in the light of the torches they recognized his muddy face, bowing and scraping for forgiveness as they let them past. The king threw back on his facade like a new cloak but he was feeling too good to be agitated.

“The lack of recognition is what made this day possible,” Geoff reminded him, diffusing any indignant feelings that would have taken root.

They left a trail of muddy footprints along the carpet and stone as they made their way up to the rinse chamber. It was an invention of Ryan’s - a chamber with two dips in the floor that led out holes in the wall. The worst of dirt could be washed off before a bath was taken. Burnie barked orders at the servants to bring them hot buckets of water and to run a bath for the king.

“I don’t need a bath,” Ryan protested with a huff.

“I don’t care if you’re drunk, you’re going to wash that grime off you or so help me, by the Eight, you will not take one step outside this castle without at least ten Kingsguard,” Burnie snapped, taking the buckets from the servants until they had three each. The three of them stripped down and started scrubbing off the dirt with rags, talking about the game of mob and brainstorming ways to make a more civilized version.

“Maybe just among the Kingsguard?” Ryan tossed out there.

Geoff brayed. “That would be quite a sight!”

The two felt lighter than air, all big smile and brimming with a youthful happiness they hadn’t felt in quite some time.

Burnie dunked one of the buckets on his head and scrubbed a cloth through his curls. “Drinking so heavy on guard, it’s disgraceful. I should thrash you. We were supposed to be at the top of our game. Constant vigilance.”

Geoff barked out another laugh and tossed an empty bucket at the man. Burnie yelped and jumped aside, burning a glare at him. “Tell me that wasn’t the most fun you’ve had in years. I dare you, Burns.”

Burnie made a face but he eventually relented. “Okay, it was. I’m glad we went. It was sweet of Ray to let us intrude on his day with ‘Lord’ Ryan.”

Geoff snorted. “Seeing the king take punches in the face from commoners was something I’ll cherish. I wish I could tell the story.”

Ryan snickered at the two of them, dumping another bucket over him and washing the dirt trail off him in dark trails. “It was exhilarating. Better than a joust, better than a hunt even. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Burnie nodded in agreement. “Maybe we could get the men into a game.”

Geoff’s lips turned up. “There we go, he’s getting into the spirit.”

o0o

Safe inside and with the house secure for the night, his father set up in front of the fire downstairs with a hot bowl of stew with buttered bread (relaxing after such a long day), Ray went up to his room for the night with a jug of water. He lit just one candle by the bedside before stripping down to nothing. He poured the water into his basin and took a spare cloth to wipe off the dirt of the day. He made sure to scrub it through his hair and under his arms, his face, his thighs, and all along his arms where the worst of the mud was.

Once he was clean enough he crawled into his well-padded, comfortable nest with his new blanket. He chittered quietly to himself and wrapped the blanket around him, sighing as it brushed against his skin. He was drained but oh so happy, warm and buzzing from the day. There were so many things to think about, so many exciting events, such a tempest of a day. And it all swirled around Ryan, his Alpha Lord.

Ray flushed and dragged the blanket up around his nose, huffing the hearth scent that clung to it. He resisted the urge to rut against it. The Omega squealed quietly and buried his face in it, remembering his boldness with the Lord at the end of their goodbye. He didn’t have a drop of wine to give an excuse for his lustful urges and his actions upon them. He wasn’t sure what had come over him but Ryan had reacted so well to it, had responded to it.

That gave him such hope. He was exhausted but there was a giddy flutter of butterflies in his chest.

“Ryan,” he whispered in the privacy of his covers, eyes falling shut and lashes twitching. The name sounded so nice all hushed and he wished he could murmur it into the man’s hair, against his lips, maybe against his hip as he made his way to the impressive Alpha cock. He blushed and snuggled deeper into his pillows as he started to drift, thinking of the Lord cuddled up behind him to keep him warm.

He entertained the thought of fondling his cock a little, exploring himself to the heated memory of the day, but the boy was fast asleep within minutes of resting his heavy head.

o0o

Under Burnie’s glower, Ryan took a proper bath and scrubbed himself thoroughly. He couldn’t appear with dirt under his nails in court or they’d start to whisper, maybe rumors of a blonde, blue eyed man at the Festival wafting around and easy to put together.

Ryan closed the doors to his inner chamber and the world grew small again. But he didn’t mind it. The hearth made the room warm and he was alone with the bright memories of the day like bubbles in his head. He took the gift box out of his plain satchel and took it over to the bed with him. Every step made him realize that much more how tired he was. The day had sapped him in the best way.

He flopped into his bed and laughed a little as he crawled up to the pillows, sprawling amongst them like a satisfied predator. He let his eyes close for a few moments and savored the calm atmosphere, the quiet. The Alpha shook off the edge of sleep and opened the box, rumbling at the sweet smell of white flowers as he unwrapped the figurine. The bull was smooth under his fingertips and he let his thumb brush through the ribbons.

Ray was such a thoughtful boy. No, he’s growing into quite a man from how he spoke to me. Capable, smart, skilled. The perfect Omega. He set the clay bull on the round, ivory stand beside his bed and it looked so right - like a guardian.

Ryan slumped into the pillows and felt himself start to drift even with so many candles still burning. Kerry would sneak back in in an hour to put them out but he’d grown so used to the noise he wouldn’t wake. All he could think about was how happy Ray had been all day - that sunlit smile and the way he’d danced, as if the gods themselves had kissed the boy with skill. How cute he’d been worrying on the sidelines while he played mob, and how blindingly beautiful he’d looked above him and feeding him sugary treats.

Ryan’s heart was swollen with love for the Omega and sooner or later he’d have to admit it.

o0o

Still feeling dirty from his bucket rinse but not caring, Burnie went back to his own quarters and was surprised to see Joel there. The other Alpha was changing into his smallclothes and he seemed surprised to see him. “You’re back! I was sure the king would keep you out at the gardener’s farm.”

Burnie quickly shut the door and hushed him. “Firstly, don’t say those things out loud. The king would be furious if he knew I’d disclosed his secret.” He moved to the wardrobe and pulled out his own smallclothes, stripping off his peasant clothes. “Second, they are not carnal as I’d thought.”

“Truly?” Joel sat down at the edge of the bed, brow furrowed. “Strange. That’s unlike our king.”

“I could spend the rest of the night waxing chaste poetry about handholding and sugary kisses, and of the Omega’s shy nature having fire kindled beneath it, but I won’t.” Burnie pulled on a pair of breeches before snagging his paper wrapped gift out of his bag. He walked over to the bed and dropped to his knees in front of Joel, giving him a weary smile. “Because I would rather think of you, and wax poetry about your kisses.”

Joel was stunned. “Michael?”

“For you.”

Joel took the gift and unwrapped it, rumbling faintly when he found the simple leather bracelet within it. He examined it with a knowledgeable eye. “The crafters truly threw themselves into this, as I’m sure with every piece if you got this from the town. Thank you. You did not have to think of me, what with our sovereign so near.”

Burnie fisted dark hair and dragged his lover into a firm kiss, swiping his lip along a pink lip and diving inside when he gasped. Joel melted quickly into the kiss, letting the other Alpha tilt his head and claim his mouth, to bite his lip until it stung. They pulled away with a wet sound and his wrist was seized, Burnie snapping the bracelet into place. A kiss was pressed to the leather before blazing blue eyes met his own.

“Michael, what’s gotten into you? Not that I mind-”  
  


“I love you.”

“-but it’s unlike you,” Joel continued, freezing when his mind caught up to what had been said. “What...Michael, did you…?”

“I love you,” Burnie repeated firmly, their fingers lacing. “Seeing the king dance around the man he loves today has driven me mad. And I won’t go a day long without you knowing how much I care.” He sighed heavily and laid his head down in the other Alpha’s lap, still clinging to his hand. “I’m exhausted, Joel. I just need you to know that you are in my heart, who I would call my mate among company who would not try to destroy that.”

Joel rumbled more heavily and pet through copper curls, his other hand squeezing the other’s hand. “Hush. Enough of that, Michael. You are my heart, my strength.”

“I suddenly feel so weak,” Burnie admitted, eyes clenched shut. “I can see the king heading down a path where I may not be able to protect him and there is nothing I can do.”

“Haywood will do what he wants, and you will do what you can,” Joel promised patiently. “Now come to bed and think no more of it ‘til the morrow when you can tackle it with a clear head.” Burnie let his jaw be cradled in a wide palm and his head was picked up until he could get a small kiss. “Lay down, my heart. Let me warm your cock until you drift off.”

Burnie whimpered and grew warm under the man’s dark eyes. “Yes, Alpha.”

**  
**


	22. "Lord" Ryan - Part VII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray learns Ryan is not a lord, but a king.

**So I hope this makes up for the long, long, LONG wait. I hope you guys enjoy this, I worked SUPER hard and gathered all the ideas I could find to make it as angsty as possible.**

 

**Feedback is sorely needed, my loves ;;;**

* * *

 

 

The garden somehow trapped a breeze on a warm day and their cheeks cooled as they spoke of the new flowers that had been ordered. Ray took Ryan by the hand and together they thought of places to put the seeds. They idly discussed sunlight and rain exposure while they laced fingers and rubbed thumbs over palms. Mostly, they enjoyed one another. Callouses from gardening tools met ones from battle and they bumped shoulders, leaning in once and a while to share a chaste kiss. 

 

Ray giggled with each one. “I feel like one of those fine ladies at court that strut through here.”

 

“Ah, my rose, you have far less secrets and poisonous intent than they,” Ryan assured him.

 

“I always thought they were so smart,” Ray teased with a sarcastic little smile. 

 

“Cotton heads, every one of them,” Ryan laughed, free hand brushing through the blooms. There was a glint in his eyes. “And the king? Worst of them all sometimes. He didn’t know a stem from his own elbow a few months ago. But recently, I’ve heard, he’s been paying more attention to the garden.”

 

“Papa says the king has never been so generous as he has been lately,” Ray hummed, leaning into the other as they walked. “I’m grateful. I feel as if I’ve been given a gift, a chance to show I can do what my father has done. I’ve taken the king’s generosity and shown that I have what it takes to become the Royal Gardener.”

 

Ray snapped his mouth shut and the Alpha smiled at the cute ramble. He loved the way the other would get lost in himself and indulge in his natural urge to talk about what he loved. “Thanks to your care, the riches of the king shows, does it not?”

 

“Yes, it’s more lovely than ever,” the Omega marveled, excitement fluttering through him as he thought of the new buds and the rest that would come as time went on. There was so much he could do with the gardens now that his father had all but officially stepped aside and let him run things. It was like a tutorship but he’d been given the reins early. He owed his father so much.

 

Two fingers touched his jaw and turned his head until his eyes met a clear, cerulean gaze. “Not half as lovely as you.”

 

“Ryan,” Ray sighed as his cheeks flared with a blush. He accepted a brief, sweet kiss and the warmth bled down into his chest. Goosebumps cropped up along his bare arms, the bumps disappearing beneath his small sleeve and across his shoulders. “You really are a silver tongued devil. A true courtier.”

 

“Cannot I not kiss you because I find you beautiful?”

 

Ray flushed darker. His whole stomach had gone liquid and his knees threatened to do the same. “Charmer.”

 

“Call me whatever you wish.” He ran his thumb just under Ray’s lip and savored the tickle of his breath on his skin. “Just grant me another honeyed kiss.”

 

They leaned in towards one another, smiling in anticipated pleasure. They pulled away when they heard the foreign sound of metal boots tramping through the garden. From down the way they could see two lines of Kingsguard marching along the path straight toward them. Ray frowned, confusion and the first tendrils of fear coiling in his chest. 

 

“What now?” Ryan huffed to himself.

 

Ray pushed up close to Alpha, fingers curling in his tunic. “Are you in trouble?”

 

“Someone is, for them to bother me here.” Ryan would have been afraid of his entire illusion unraveling but he could suddenly feel the weight of the crown upon his brow. The Kingsguard stopped before them and he could see Burnie had dressed in full armor, a serious frown marring his face. Something had happened, something that could not wait another moment. Doing this was going against his direct orders so the situation must have been quite urgent.

 

“Burnie?” Ray whimpered quietly, brow pinched up hard as he struggled to figure out what he was looking at.

 

Burnie dropped to one knee and bowed his head. “Forgive me. I would not come if it were not dire…”

 

“Speak,” Ryan growled out. He tried not to feel the trembling Omega under his arm or the cracks of the lie he’d created finally splintering through. He mulled over putting a stop to it, dismissing them, making up a lie. Ray was too smart for that, too good for it. Ray deserved better than the lies he’d been spoon feeding him. They’d grown close and the boy meant  _ too much  _ for him to continue. It was too late now, he had to accept what he’d done and deal with it. Guilt lined his stomach like lead but he kept his chin up, glaring down at his most trusted guard.

 

“A sudden rise of rebels, sire,” Burnie explained, ignoring Ray’s soft gasp of  _ sire? _ and the wide eyed look he gave him. Guilt weighed on him too but worry swamped it. One boy’s feelings could not be spared for the lives that were being lost this second. “We need you on the field and as soon as we can get you fitted in your armor. The rebels must not smell fear and the sight of the crown in their first uprising would crush them.”

 

“It would give the right message,” another of the Kingsguard said. 

 

Ryan’s jaw clenched. There had been whispers and then warnings of these rebels. A group of young Alphas who banded together and called themselves the House of Bloodtooth or something along those lines. They were constantly changing their ridiculous name but their reason for banding together remained the same. They wanted to get Ryan off the throne. Unfortunately for them, he was ready to fight to the death to keep his throne.

 

Ryan turned his attention to Ray and the boy looked surprisingly calm, staring blankly at the dirt. There was something souring the Omega’s scent, something potent and acrid on the back of his tongue. He wanted to drag Ray away and soothe him, to find a secluded spot and lick the sorrow off his skin. But he couldn’t, not now. He’d had all the time in the world with Ray and now there wasn’t even a moment to hold him. “I’m afraid I must leave, Raymond. I’m needed.”

 

Ray dropped to one knee and let his head hang low. He said nothing and somehow that made it worse. Ryan frowned and very gently laid his hand on the boy’s head, enjoying the feel of those silky tresses in case it was the last time. “We’ll speak when I return. I promise.”

 

The Omega’s silence made his chest tight. “Ray?”

 

“I pray for your safe return, my liege” Ray murmured, strangely still.

 

Ryan sighed and looked to Burnie as the man rose to his feet. “Have someone prepare my armor. I’ll dress in the war room and decide numbers. Rally all the troops you can find. I want details.”

 

“Yes, my king.”

 

Ray visibly flinched but didn’t make a sound. He kept his head down to hide the tears building in his eyes. Ryan watched him and so badly wanted to kneel with him, nuzzle his cheeks and whisper his affection. But there were men losing their lives in the name of his house and there wasn’t a moment to spare. He would mend bridges when he returned.

 

If Ray was going to forgive him at all, he’d forgive him in a few days. And if not, he’d have to deal with that when he returned. He was not callous to the betrayal and pain his rose felt but there was nothing he could do now.

 

“Forgive me, Raymond,” Ryan pleaded quietly, letting his fingers fall back to his side. Ray was strong and he would have to put trust in that. “One day you will understand why I’ve done what I have.”

 

With a simple gesture, the Kingsguard parted and Ryan strode through them. They followed close on his heels and the Omega was left by himself. Ray didn’t dare to move until he could no longer hear another person, not a breath or a footstep. 

 

Then he fled. 

 

o0o

 

Ray Sr. straightened up over the cooking pot when he heard the door slam and lock. “Ray?”

 

Ray quickly shed his cloak and boots by the hall before he stormed across the room, head down and lips pursed tight. His father pursued him in worry but he was fast to the steps, taking them two at a time.

 

“Raymond, what happened?”

 

Ray couldn’t bare to look over his shoulder for fear his father’s concerned expression would break him. He merely shook his head and ran the rest of the way to his room. He slammed the door between them and threw down the small lock, knowing his father would honor his privacy if he begged so blatantly for it. He couldn’t burden him with this grief.  _ By the gods, he knew. He had to know. He’d seen the king before. Everyone knew...Burnie and Geoff, they were guards. Kingsguard. _

 

He slumped against the door and he finally let himself feel it, to process it. Lord Ryan was King James Haywood. He should have known, he’d seen paintings and heard descriptions before. Golden hair and eyes like the sea, the gait of a man with power and the education of a high born. Ryan had such a grand air to him and Ray had written it off as an easily obtained lordship. The way he spoke, how he’d acted with the people in the village, the visits...it all made since. He’d just been too stupid to see it.

 

Ray’s chest jumped and shuddered, tears plipping to the floor and leaving round stains on the wood. Devastation swept through him and his legs shook. His hand was trembling just as badly as it raised and spread over his flat stomach. All those lovely, childish daydreams about Lord Ryan cracked and shattered all around him. Ryan sweeping him into his arms, asking for his hand in marriage, declaring his love...all of it,  _ dashed _ . In just a few moments, his fantasies had been ripped at the seams to expose the ugly reality.  

 

He’d been such a fool to not realize his own king was standing before him. And he’d treated Ryan in such a way - he’d even slapped him when he first met! They’d eaten together on the ground like peasants, enjoying foods that must have been so pale in comparison to what the king normally ate. Everything they’d done once precious now felt silly. Ray thought he’d been showing Ryan a good time and the whole time he’d been making a right fool of himself. They’d scented so much, laid in the garden together, nuzzled each other under the stars... 

 

Ray dropped to the floor, both arms curling around his stomach as it churned. He muffled a wail of pain as he mourned the loss of unborn children and a life he would never have. Even if Ryan cared for him half as much as he’d proclaimed, there was no future for them. Nothing that wouldn’t shame his house. The king had either been playing with him for some twisted game or grooming him for the rumored Haywood harem. 

 

He’d never hated himself before but in this moment he wanted to sink into the earth and disappear. He felt filthy, used like a toy and cast into the garden dirt. He thought he’d been on the fast track to a proposal but instead he’d been smacked in the face. He’d never done more than kiss Ryan but he could suddenly feel each one like a brand upon his lips. 

 

There was no  _ Lord Ryan _ . His courting had meant nothing and neither had his kisses.

 

Ray buried his face in his knees and let himself sob for what would never come to be.

 

o0o

 

There was a knock on the door. The sun had been up for quite some time but Ray couldn’t bring himself to leave his nest. He’d buried deep under the covers in the middle of the night and found some of Ryan’s scent still lingered there. The smell faded as the sun rose and now they smelled of soured Omega scent and salt from the tears that had escaped. He’d told himself he found no comfort in the Alpha’s and the lie helped him through the night. He was sapped of strength, exhausted right down to his bones. He could do little more than turn his head towards the door and open his eyes, grunting softly

 

A thin knife slipped through the crack in the door and moved up, flicking open the latch of the lock. The door opened carefully and Ray Sr. stepped inside, unintruding but deeply worried. “Little one...you are usually up and gone by now. Tell me, what has happened?”

 

Ray swallowed dryly, mouth painfully parched. It took a few tries for him to catch his voice. “Sick.”

 

His father frowned, disbelief etched on his face. “What happened last night? You came home so upset. Tell me who put you in such a state, let me help.”

 

Ray shook his head. It made him sick to his stomach to upset his father so much, but it made him even sicker to think of seeing Ryan again. Even getting out of felt like an ordeal he couldn’t attempt. 

 

Ray Sr. relented as he watched agony chase across his son’s sweet face. “I will go to the gardens in your stead today, little one. I’ll bring you breakfast before I leave. I’ll be back in a moment.”

 

“Papa?” Ray rasped, pushing down the sheet to truly look at hi father. Ray Sr. paused hopefully.   
  


“Yes, son?”

 

“Did everyone know?”

 

Ray Sr.’s stomach bottomed out and he nearly choked at the realization. “Gods blood. He finally told you.”

 

“Everyone knew,” Ray murmured with a heavy heart.

 

“Raymond, forgive me. He’s our king. He told me not to speak a word and I was afraid what would happen if I disobeyed him. You’re too young to understand what a loyalty to the crown truly means. I begged him to leave you alone but…” Ray Sr. trailed off as his son turned over in the nest and put his back to him, sheets coming up to cover his head. “I know you’re hurt, my son. I know you feel as if you’d swallowed glass and we’ve all turned against you. But there were many factors involved, things that I cannot explain and motives I do not know. Things you will have to ask our king.”

 

Ray’s muffled whine might as well have been a knife in his gut. “He likes you, Ray. I have seen the way he looks at you. He will answer you honestly when you ask.”

 

Ray’s figure hunched and he drew back. “I’ll fetch you food and let you rest.” His hand tightened on the latch. “I’m sorry I let this happen. I’ve only ever wanted to protect you. I’ve failed.”

 

Ray Sr. closed the door between them and he fought not to be sick on the floor.  _ What have I allowed my son to go through? _

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ryan sat on the edge of his bed and cradled the bull figurine Ray had bought him between his hands. The light of the fire flickered over him, teasing at the lines carved into its body. He traced those lines with his fingertips, thumbs teasing at the ribbons that were tied to its little horns. He was bandaged and stitched in all kinds of places, from his cheeks down to a nasty gash in his calf that would keep him from traveling for at least two weeks. The battle had taken a day but they had received their share of injuries. It was nothing compared to the swift deaths they’d served the rebels. It had been a day’s ride there, and another back. Three full days he’d been away from court, his kingdom. And from Ray.

 

Ray hadn’t been seen for a week now. He’d expected to find the Omega in the garden the day he returned. He’d gone there in his blood streaked armor, searched every path and called for him in hopes of talking. All he’d found was Ray Sr., who could barely look him in the eye. Not from shame but rage. He could sense the anger in the man, Dornish passion flushing his skin as he held his tongue. Ray Sr. explained as calmly as he could that his son was bedridden in grief.  _ Mourning _ . That it was all he could do to keep the Omega eating and well watered.

 

_ ‘He is devastated, my king. He has suffered a great betrayal and grieves. I cannot get him out of bed.’ _

 

Ray Sr.’s glare had cut daggers through him. And he’d deserved it.

 

Ryan’s thumb rubbed under the bull’s chin. He was exhausted all the way through, from his bones to his eyes. He ached and he had court in the morning but he could not find sleep, not since his return. His mind was in chaos, his body buzzing with anxiety. He had left his sweet flower all alone with a broken heart and he had wounded him so terribly he couldn’t even get out of bed. 

 

Ryan gently sat the bull back down at his bedside and let himself lay down. The bed was soft, the blankets welcoming, but the comfort rang hollow. He had hurt Ray so badly with his lies. He felt like a cad, like the monster his people called him. He’d toyed with a young boy until he presented, and then he took advantage. He was a disgusting Alpha. His parents would have been revolted to know what kind of son they’d raised. 

 

He buried his face in the pillow and sighed. How could he lay here while Ray was hurting? Every shred of Alpha instinct told him to go to his Omega, throw himself at his feet and beg for forgiveness. But he wouldn’t force his presence on Ray. He would let his strong garden boy heal in his own way, for now. Going to him too soon could ruin everything. 

 

Unless he’d already ruined everything.

 

Ryan clenched his eyes shut and he fought that train of thought. That could only lead to a dark place, a headspace he hated being in. One where he wanted to hurt and  _ bleed  _ out the pain that prickled his mind. 

 

A growl left him and he sat up once more. He would find no sleep this night or any other with such a busy mind. He would retire to his workshop and try to make progress on some of his inventions, mull over half finished potion recipes and sort his ingredients.

 

Anything to keep him from this endless spiral. Anything to keep him of thinking about the pain Ray was in.  

 

o0o0o0o

 

It took Ray two weeks of hiding and sulking before he found the strength to return to his duties. He put on a set of his cleanest work clothes and set out early in the morning mist for the gardens he so loved. He found it just as beautiful as he remembered, his father doing great work on the upkeep. Ray threw himself head first into his duties, doing his usual rounds and familiarizing himself with everything. He’d feared the thought of the king would contaminate the safe space, that he would feel threatened in a place the king owned, but he felt nothing but the calm of the beautiful day. His flowers and fruits greeted him, the vines all but reaching for him as he passed.

 

It still felt like home. All the way up until the king showed up.

 

Ryan lingered at the edges of the sunflowers. He’d dressed down to simple clothes and it lessened the shock of his presence. The moment Ray spotted him he lowered his eyes, bitterness flowing thick. It felt as if it laced into his very blood, pouring into his heart and all through his chest. How dare Ryan show his face here after everything that happened? Was he still trying to play games? The ruse was over, there was nothing left to talk about. This was not his lord but his king and he would have to tread carefully around him.

 

“Raymond?”

 

_ I’m not ready. I can’t. The bastard, why is he here? _

 

“Your Grace, it’s an honor.” The words rang hollow as he sunk into a deep bow, a carefully constructed mask hiding the tenderness that came from the Alpha’s betrayal. “Are the gardens to your standards, my liege?”

 

Ryan didn’t come closer, one hand curled around a thick flower stalk as he tried to figure out what to say. He hadn’t expected the Omega to have such a cold, clipped tone and it reminded him so much of the court servants. It was a stark contrast to the Ray he’s grown to know and care for. His stomach clenched up at the friction the two sides of the Omega caused. “I…”

 

“Forgive my absence, I was unwell,” Ray rattled off, head still bowed. “My father cared for garden while I was gone but his attention has been torn between here and our farm. Forgive us both. I will right everything shortly and your courtiers will have nothing but the best to walk through.” Some steel slipped across his tongue. “Anything to bring pride to our king and his honorable house.”

 

“Ray, please,” Ryan rasped, voice barely higher than a whisper.

 

“I’m sorry to have wasted your valuable time. I will return to work. There is much to be done.” Ray dipped lower, showing off his nape in a traditional sign of respect to a royal Alpha. “Good day, sire.”

 

Before Ryan could open his mouth again, Ray had disappeared down the path. He tried to follow but his feet felt as if they were sinking into the dirt like mud.  _ Gods, what have I done? I’ve ruined everything. He won’t even look at me. _

 

He’d try again.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ray combed over the royal garden for a project. He needed something to immerse himself in to avoid the king. Ryan kept dropping by trying to talk but Ray had managed to politely dismiss him each time. He hid whenever he could, and kept note on when court was in session so he could get his work done while the king had to be elsewhere. . 

 

Then one day a stable boy brought him the supplies he would need to start the vegetable garden he’d put in a request for before this whole mess had started. It was a perfect day for it so he started the moment the tools were in his hands.

 

Ray raked up a large square on the far left edge of the garden and turned the soil with fertilizer. He got on his hands and knees in the dirt and formed perfect rows for each vegetable. It was there he heard someone approaching, and then saw them round the corner of the path to approach him. The man was in plain clothes but he was anything but. It was Ryan, not his lord but his king.

 

Ray bowed his head over the dirt and bit his lip as he tried to compose himself. He didn’t want to falter in front of this Alpha, he didn’t want to let him know how badly he was hurt. But when Ryan stood so close behind him, quiet and calm, it put fuel to his anger like a flame in his gullet.

 

“What did you want from me?” Ray demanded, voicing the question he’d been mulling over for two weeks. “What did you expect to get out of this...this  _ ruse _ ?”

 

“Ray,” Ryan breathed out softly. “Hurting you was the farthest thing from my mind. I knew one day I would tell you the truth but I hoped it to be under happier circumstances.”

 

“Happier circumstances.” Ray rolled the words around on his tongue and found them sour, distasteful. “I’m sure it was all very well planned out.”

 

“I didn’t plan it,” Ryan admitted, one hand half hidden by his shirt as he picked nervously at his own fingers. “I had heard of you, your kindness. The day we met in the garden I had only come to see the Dornish roses I’d ordered for you. Your father had served me well and he had only one son, a son who would one day man the gardens himself. I wanted to welcome you.” He trailed off wistfully. “I had not expected to meet you that day. You were so fiery yet so sweet. Being in your presence was...intoxicating. Refreshing from court in every way.”

 

“Did you and your  _ court  _ have a good laugh at the poor,  _ stupid  _ gardener who didn’t know any better?” Ray hated the hoarseness in his voice, the burn of tears in his eyes. “About the stupid Omega boy who thought someone cared about him...who thought he had a chance…”

 

“No!”

 

Ray startled at the bark. The Alpha rushed forward, boots kicking up dirt and leaves until he stood behind him. Sun warmed fingers moved past Ray’s shoulder and took his chin, turning his head so gently so he could look at him. “I may not have been honest about who I was. But every word, every feeling, every  _ kiss _ …” He ran his thumb just below Ray’s lip and the Omega’s pupils flexed. “It was real.” 

 

“Real?” Ray smacked his hand away, turning back to the soil. His fingers clawed deep into the cool earth as the first tear fell. He hastily wiped it away with the back of his hand and when he spoke it was with a fire that raged white hot within him. “Do you know how badly you’ve hurt me, sir? Do you know what you have done to me?”

 

Ryan flinched and lowered his gaze in shame. “Raymond…”

 

“I thought of  _ marriage _ , of  _ children _ . You bastard!” Ray choke down a sob. “Punish me for slander if you wish, but you are. You robbed me of a dream. A dream I never thought I’d want. I thought Alphas were controlling bastards and I hoped you were different.” His mouth trembled as tears burned hot down his cheeks, muddy as they passed through smears of dirt.

 

“I loved my lord,” Ray confessed, fingers smoothing over his stomach as it turned over itself. He thought of the little babies he’d never have, the family he thought he was going to obtain. The fake courtship cut more deeply than anything else. “He filled me up with light and he made me believe I was beautiful, and worthy. He made me want all the things an Omega is supposed to want. He was so much to me.”

 

Ryan swallowed thickly. Every word was a blow and he wanted to crumple under Ray’s grief. “I am still your lord.”

 

“You are  _ not _ ,” Ray hissed, eyes clenched tight. “You are my  _ king _ . It cannot be the same. The person I know is dead.  _ Worse _ . He was never real.”

 

“He was,” Ryan pleaded, teeth grit in frustration. “I am that man, Raymond. What I’ve done is horrid but please tell me it can be forgiven. I only feared you would leave my side once you knew who I truly was.”

 

“And what was I to you,  _ truly _ ? A low born gardener with dirt as a second skin. A  _ whore _ .” Ray choked hard on the word, the reality of it like ink on his tongue. “I thought I was being courted for love, not lust. What a cruel, roundabout way to fill up your harem, Your Grace.”

 

_ That  _ set Ryan off. He growled and slid to his knees in the soil beside Ray. He grabbed his arm and tried to make him look at him but the Omega scowled and tried to jerk away. “Do not speak of yourself that way! You are more than that,  _ above it _ . I owe you so much.” Ray frowned and slowly picked up his head. “You taught me humility. You connected me with my people in a way I could not have done on my own. I was...ice, before you. I was the Mad King.” 

 

Ray chewed his lip, remembering the rumors of his king.

 

“You’ve soothed that beast,” Ryan urged. “You have warmed me all the way through. I have always treated Omegas with respect but never before have I wanted to take care of one. I think about you all the time - in and out of court. I think of the things you’ve taught me, and what you would say when I have to make choices for the kingdom. I want to protect you, but most of all I want you by my side.”

 

“I...I don’t believe you. You’re  _ lying  _ to me, all you do is lie!” Ray lamented, trying to yank his arm away from the Alpha’s grasp. Ryan tried to pull him back and he let out a weak Omega growl, fisting a handful of dirt and tossing it at the king. Ryan turned his face away and when he looked back his eyes were dark, determined. “I  _ can’t  _ believe a word you say!” The Alpha dragged him closer and he pawed at him with filthy fingers, leaving streaks. “Don’t grab me, you lost that right! Let me go, sir, let me-”

 

The king’s own earth-stained fingers curled under Ray’s jaw and dragged him into a kiss. The Omega cried out, pushed at his chest, but the feeling of Ryan’s lips on his own was overwhelmingly welcome. Ray felt his anger extinguish under the Alpha’s obvious claim. He didn’t want to but he swooned, sighing against Ryan’s lips as the man cradled him close. Broad palms laid on the nape of his neck and the dip of his back, grounding him. The confidant swipe of the king’s tongue against his, the control, the smell of him...a well spiced hearth and savory heat under his tongue. It swaddled him like a blanket and he melted.

 

Ryan broke the kiss and they struggled to catch their breath, noses brushing lately. “You are what I want, Ray. Be it your company or anything else you are willing to give. I am starved for your attention, your affection.” 

 

Ryan leaned back in and the soft brush of their lips reignited the outrage in the Omega’s gut. “But...if you want me to leave your presence. I will give you your space and you need not see me again.”

 

Ray shoved him away and snarled, sick of those honeyed words. “Don’t you dare touch me.”

 

Ryan’s jaw ticked under his skin, the first sign of irritation in the king. “I’m trying to apologize, Ray, but you’re as stubborn as your father!”

 

The Alpha’s raised voice sliced across Ray’s nerves. The Omega puffed up, bristling at the sheer audacity this man had after the turmoil he’d put him through. His fist drew back and before he’d realized it he’d struck the king. Ryan’s head whipped to the side, a look of shock sweeping over both their faces. Ray had blanked out for just a moment, let his emotion overtake him, and suddenly his knuckles were throbbing. He’d never hit a person in his life and now he was staring at the king’s own strong jaw and how it was flushing dark from the blow.

 

Blue eyes gradually slid over, Ryan’s head turning carefully to look at him. The moment slowed down, the world pausing as they stared at one another. Panic flared through the Omega’s chest. He’d just struck the  _ king _ , an offense punishable by death or mutilation. 

 

“Sire,” Ray breathed out, voice dull as he struggled to process the reality of what he’d just done. “Please don’t take my hand.”

 

Ryan got to his feet, lips pressed tight before he finally spoke. “You don’t have to decide now.”

 

Ray cradled his hand against his stomach. “My king-”   
  


“I will give you some time to think about it,” Ryan interrupted, words spilled out fast like they were too painful to keep in.It was one of the hardest thing he’d ever done, but Ryan made himself turn away. He knew that even his very presence would affect Ray’s decision and he would never want him to feel forced. This was too important a choice to make. His jaw was hot and throbbing from the Omega’s blow. It served as a reminder that he was unwanted, especially now. “I will let the guards know that if you ask for me, I will see you immediately. Please, think everything over.”

 

Ray watched him walk away with forgiveness already sitting on his lips. Those same lips tingled from the king’s kiss and the flutter of his heart was no longer in nerves, but in love. He swallowed it all down, scrubbing his sore knuckles across his mouth to wipe away the weakness.

 

He had much to think about.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ryan tried to visit Ray at least a dozen more times in the garden. But the Omega was slick and on high alert like a rabbit, and he could run like one. Everytime Ryan got close, Ray would either respectfully dismiss him with a slew of pretty words or dart off. Ryan had learned the hidden pathways and the tucked-away hideouts of the royal gardens from Ray but the boy had been holding out. Ray could disappear with a whisper of the wind if he wanted to. 

 

Every ‘ _ pardon me, Your Grace’  _ felt like a stab in the gut.

 

Over the next couple of weeks, the sadness faded into his own anger. He’d done everything to respect Ray and keep his distance, to give him time. But Ray refused him at every turn. The rage boiled down to frustration, and then to remorse. Every sweet memory he had of Ray was paired with a sour one. The memory of Ray’s smile, once was so fresh, now faded at the edges. His visits to the garden diminished as he gave in to heartache. 

 

After the surge of rebellion, the open days of court became flooded with civilian requests. The war room became busier as smaller crops of rebels popped up. Men had to to be gathered into divisions, supplied, have their training freshened, and sent out to fight for their king. Ryan oversaw it all and he found himself...slipping. Though he managed to keep his royal persona around him for the war effort, it was starting to crack at court. Every request grinded against his broken heart, every story reminding him of Ray and the plights of his people. He started to grow cold to them, shielding the fragments of his hearts and swaddling them away. His replies became curt and bleak, more punishment doled out than retribution. His judgements became daggers, sharp and quick. He could barely stand to look upon the faces of his people - every set of doe eyes reminded him of Ray. He saw the Omega in every farmer, every young son. 

 

It was too much to bare. He lashed out to make them leave.

 

Burnie and Geoff watched in horror as their beloved king, who had softened so much since Ray had entered the picture, grow into a wrathful lion. Claws and fangs came out on the unsuspecting people and they winced as they tore him to shreds. Requests for gold and manpower were denied time after time, feuds dismissed, but the pair knew they had to do something when finally snapped on two goat farmers whose flocks had been mixed up in the last rain storm. Their bickering had been annoying but nothing worth the king’s reaction. 

 

“By the gods!” Ryan roared, slamming his fist on the throne. “If you can’t work it out amongst yourselves then I will have the entire flock slaughtered!”

 

And the king had done just that. Each trembling farmer was given a bag of silver and every goat in their combined flock was decapitated by royal decree.

 

o0o

 

Ryan sequestered himself in his chambers when he was not in court. Burnie and Geoff went there and found him brooding in front of the fire, dinner plates still full on the dining table. The wine was gone, and the last of it was being slugged down from a heavy goblet. Ryan had wrapped himself in furs on the low couch beside the hearth, blue eyes still dull though the firelight danced within him. It’s flickering carved out shadows and dips along his royal form, cutting across his face in a way that made him look both regal and dangerous. Worst of all, Ryan looked exhausted. He kept such a brave face in court but here alone he looked aged beyond his years.

 

Geoff idly thought Ryan looked much like his father before the end.

 

“Sire,” Burnie greeted, dropping to a knee before the man. His eyes slid nervously toward the food. “Your dinner is untouched. I worry. You have eaten so little lately.”

 

“No hunger, no need,” Ryan grunted out.

 

“You can’t keep this up,” Geoff pointed out gracelessly. “You need your strength above all, especially with the rebels.”

 

Burnie shot him a brief glare before turning a soft expression toward his king. “We’re worried.”

 

“I’m fine.” Ryan smiled and the falsity of it hurt to look at. “After all, I am the king.”

 

“You’re hurting,” Burnie pleaded. 

 

“I have no right to hurt,” Ryan drawled, the goblet balancing on the tips of his fingers before he let it tilt. The cup fell and bounced off the stone, clattering before rolling into the ashes of the hearth. “I am the monster Alpha all Omegas fear. I cannot hurt.” He tilted his head almost thoughtfully. “Then again, I am a prince of lies. A spider with my webs. A mad king.” The words popped out from between his lips with a faint mirth. “So does it matter if I hurt?”

 

It pained their hearts to hear such a thing said with a tone that suggested complete and utter finality. 

 

“You are not yourself,” Burnie stated carefully. “In here, or in court.”

 

Ryan’s lips turned up in a bitter facade of a smile. “Have I failed you?”

 

“Never,” Geoff swore fiercely. “You know how deep our loyalty runs. We will live and die by you. We’re concerned for you, the man. Our friend.”

 

Ryan’s face went slack and he stared into the fire. The pregnant pause made his knights squirm. There was a time in Ryan’s reign where they would risk a lashing for a confrontation like this, a time when they couldn’t speak freely to their king. They seemed to be circling back to that time.

 

“He made me feel like a man.” The name was too sharp to say but they could hear it, clear as a bell through the room. “He made me feel human, instead of a figurehead. He was  _ everything _ .” Ryan’s fists clenched. “And now he’s gone. He won’t even look at me.”

 

“Sire-”   
  


“Leave me,” Ryan commanded as he slumped into the couch.  

 

Geoff shifted uncomfortably. “Ryan…”

 

Blonde lashes fell low and for a moment he looked to be asleep. “Your king wants to be alone.”

 

Geoff left, unable to stand the king’s dreary air for a moment longer. It hurt him to see his friend so immersed in his own grief. But Burnie stayed in place. Ryan sighed but didn’t look at him. He drew in on himself, wrapping the furs of his past kills tighter around him. 

 

“You must have patience with the boy, sire,” Burnie beseeched. “He’s young, but smart. His wound are deep now but he can heal. He will come around to at least listen.”

 

“He thought of having my children.”

 

The low rumble pulled at Burnie’s heartstrings. He thought of the Omega gardener bearing the king’s heirs and the sweetness of the image was too much.

 

“He wanted to marry his lord, and build a life together.” Slivers of blue peered at him from beneath golden lashes. “Will he come around after I’ve robbed him of a happy ever after?

 

Burnie could find no comforting words so he wished his king a goodnight and left.

 

He met up with Geoff and together, alone, they hatched a plan.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ray dropped his pruning shears when he saw Geoff and Burnie coming down the path toward him. 

 

“Don’t run, Narvaez. We have you surrounded!” Geoff barked, rolling his eyes when the boy ran off anyway. “Gods blood. The little shit.”

 

Ray didn’t make it far until he hit a wall of Kingsguard. He tried to cut through the garden but they were there too, hands on swords. He knew running from the Kingsguard was a punishable offense but he went with his instinct. He doubled back but was snagged under each arm by Burnie and Geoff, lifted as gently as possible right up off the ground. He struggled as the Alphas took him off the path, lashing out as best he could as they passed through the hedges. He was taken to the wall, placed on his feet and pinned with casual strength against the brick.

 

“Release me!” Ray demanded hotly. “I’ve done nothing wrong.” 

 

“Kid, relax,” Geoff urged, holding the Omega’s small shoulder in one gloved hand. “We’re here about the king.”

 

Ray stiffened under their grip and he spoke in that same polite, appeasing tone he’d been using to mask his feelings as of late. “I know the king visited the gardens often these past few months but he’s not here. And I don’t expect to see him here anytime soon, as his Highness is quite busy I’m sure. I have not seen him today and I have nothing else to say, so if you could please remove your presence from the garden as you are  _ trampling  _ my violets.”

 

One of the Kingsguard quickly moved to the the side, looking guilty as he saw how his misplaced boot had crushed some flowers.

 

“You can play the obedient servant all you want, Ray, but we’re not buying it,” Burnie tisked. “This act you’re putting up isn’t you. You’re hiding from how you really feel.”

 

Ray grit his teeth. “Aren’t you  _ intuitive _ ?”

 

“It’s not hard to figure it out,” Geoff snorted. “You’re a sweet kid. This heartless act doesn’t suit you.”

 

“It’s not an act,” Ray protested, faltering under the Alpha’s stern gaze. “I’m protecting myself. Anyone would do the same.”

 

“True, but now is the time to listen,” Burnie urged. “We want to talk to you about the king. About  _ Ryan _ .”

 

Ray stilled at the sound of that name. It stung. 

 

“Ray.” Geoff softened his voice, a gloved thumb rubbing circles over the Omega’s shoulder. “You should have seen him before you. These past few months you have put him in touch with his humanity while all others have treated him like a walking crown. You’ve helped him grow in a way years of mentors and counselors have tried to do.”   
  


“You got him in touch with his people and he’s flourished from it, from  _ you _ .” Burnie searched the boy’s face and found his mask was cracking. “You have been so good for him.”

 

“And he has cared for you,” Geoff promised. “Since the first day you two met, he’s been captivated by you. And after we met you we realized why.”

 

“Cared for,” Ray repeated. “As in, does not care for any longer. He’s grown bored once the chase became cold. Typical.”

 

“Stop it,” Geoff hissed. “You stubborn little fool. After all this time, you have no idea how much you mean to him, how much you mean to  _ each other. _ He’s never wanted to hurt you.”

 

Burnie sighed as he saw the Omega’s pursed lips. “You don’t realize what you were, what you are. You were his chance to follow his heart. He got to court you purely as an Alpha seeking love, instead of a king shoved together with royal heirs from other kingdoms who only wanted him for his status and gold. He has had dozens of suitors over the years and they all turned out the same - greedy, corrupt, ruined by their titles. But you…”

 

“You’ve been the only one he’s opened up to,” Geoff picked up earnestly. “You’re the only one who’s bothered to get to know him as a person, and he’s let you in.”

 

“He lied to me,” Ray countered weakly.

 

“Only because he had to,” Burnie huffed. “If you would have known, would you have even spoken to him? Or would you have ran?”

 

Ray lowered his gaze. “I...would have run.”

 

“Ryan may be selfish at times, and possessive, and has a complex where he tries to do what’s best for anyone,” Geoff listed with a wince. “But he’s not a bad man. He’s just an Alpha who was raised to be a warrior prince. With you, I’ve seen him fight all of those instincts and put you first.”

 

“And by putting you first, he’s been putting the people of the Realm first.” Burnie let him go, his eyes begging. “Ray, please. You must think that  _ that  _ is enough to at least listen to his words with an open heart.”

 

“Burns, give us a minute,” Geoff asked, tossing his head a little. Burnie frowned but he nodded, stepping back and retreating towards where the other Kingsguard were gathered. Ray thought he’d be scared but there was nothing but curiosity. “You’re a strong Omega, Ray.”

 

“I always have been,” Ray snipped back.

 

“Good,” Geoff snapped back, matching his tight tone. “That’s one of the things Ryan loves about you. Burnie wants you to listen to Ryan but I’m going to tell you to go with your gut and tell  _ him  _ some things.”

 

Ray’s brow furrowed. “Like what?”

 

“I think you know what.” Geoff patted his shoulder. “Lay it out for him, kid. Tell him what you will and will not put up with. Don’t let him push you into anything. He won’t hurt you, no matter what you do. Your farm and your family are in no danger, so don’t feel bad if you have to smack him again.” Ray’s draw dropped and he grinned. “Let him know you’re a man, and a man will be respected.” He brushed his knuckles over the Omega’s cheek playfully. “If you’re so afraid of becoming a whore, don’t fucking let him make you one.”

 

o0o

 

That night at dinner with his father, Ray was still mulling over everything that had happened that day. His two weeks of brooding had given him time to mull over every situation, every outcome of this revelation. All the things that could go wrong, the few things that could go right. Though he’d all but clawed Ryan’s face off earlier, he took every word to heart. When the anger had faded, there had only been raw, exposed emotion left. Vulnerability he didn’t want to feel, loneliness and longing stirring within him.

 

He could only think of his Lord Ryan. The image of him overlapped with that of the king, kindness and elegance overlapping. The longer he thought about it, the harder it was to separate the two. 

 

Ray ran his spoon through his stew and glanced up at his father, watching him dip brown bread in the broth. “Papa. You always said an Omega had a right to choose what they want. That they have to be wise enough to know how they are perceived, confidant enough to know what they want, and strong enough to take it. That a knot doesn’t define a man but his actions did, his words.”

 

“Yes, son, that does sound like a speech of mine.” His father’s lips quirked in a smile. “All of that is true.”

 

Ray nodded slowly, spoon tapping against the wooden side. “I will not become a court concubine.” 

 

Ray Sr. was quiet for a long minute, staring into the flames as if they held the answers. He chose his words carefully. “Being with the king in an intimate way would not make you a whore, if done so for the right reasons.”

 

“To become queen?” Ray laughed humorlessly. “In what world would the gods allow that?”

 

His father tisked. “Sometimes we have to damn the consequences, and stop thinking about titles and politics.”

 

He nearly dropped his spoon. “But court politics have always been a great concern of yours.”

 

“Your happiness is a far greater concern,” Ray Sr. assured him quickly. “I want you to life a life without regret, to love fully. We are a passionate people, we’ve never lived as these Northerners have. There is so much shame in lying with ‘lower’ bed partners here and I hate to see ridiculous beliefs get in the way of my only son finding true happiness, even if only for a while.”

 

Ray blinked away the well of tears and smiled. He was so blessed to have a father who loved him so much. “I know the only reason you didn’t tell me the truth was because of loyalty to our king. You feared what he would do.”   
  


“At first,” Ray Sr. stated hesitantly. “I thought his intentions were impure but then nothing happened. He treated you with respect, and I decided to give him his own time to tell you. Obviously, things did not work out in anyone’s favor. The damn rebels ruined his plans, it seems.”

 

“The king’s plans,” Ray sighed before smiling at his father, the tips of his ears a little red. “This is the most awkward conversation we’ve ever had. I didn’t think I’d ever discuss some non-existent sex life with my father.”

 

Ray Sr. let out a genuine belly laugh, the light returning to his eyes. “When you have kids of your own, you will find that awkwardness means nothing when it is is truly important. You will only want to help, and love them with all your heart.”

 

“Thanks, Papa.”

 

“And I support you, whatever you decide,” his father reminded him, bread dipping back into his stew. “If the worse comes, we can move to Dorne and live with our cousins. They would be happy for the company.”

 

“A back up plan is very welcome.” 

 

o0o0o0o

 

Ray found Geoff lingering in the garden and cornered him, gathering all his courage and demanding to be taken to the king. He hid the tremble in his fingers all the way through the castle, shocked that it was so easy to gain audience despite Ryan having told him he’d be waiting. Geoff was kind about it, his smile easy and his gait casual as they went through the halls and headed to one of the towers. Though he did not feel the least bit in danger, cold sweat gathered at the nape of Ray’s neck and along the palms of his hands. He did not know what to expect. 

 

“Here we are, the Small Council chamber.” Geoff stopped in front of a tall door, turning and giving him a smile. “Don’t be nervous, young sir.”

 

“You play pedestrian well,” Ray commented.

 

Geoff shrugged. “I’m a man of the people.”

 

“You’re a man of the goblet.”

 

Geoff caught the tendrils of humor in the boy’s voice and it made him relax a little. “You are right. As always. Please, go in.”

 

The door was opened for him and Ray stepped inside, jolting as it was closed swiftly behind him. The room was grand and swathed in the Haywood house colors. Tapestries were strung up on the walls and rich carpet on the floor. The round table was lined with gold, the chairs cushioned. Wine and plates of cold foods were on every table. The mounted heads of game littered the walls as well. It felt so extravagant and the rags he called clothes were suddenly scratching deeply into his skin. He didn’t belong here and it was blindingly obvious.

 

None so more obvious than when he saw Ryan. He’d never seen the king up close before in all his glory and the sight of it was breathtaking. Dark leather boots clung close to powerful legs and ended before the luxurious hem of his tunic began. It was red as blood with an intricate design, gold clasps keeping it clutched together. It outlined the broadness of his shoulders and cut tight at his waist, showing off his Alpha figure. Ryan was shedding his gloves and looking at him with an edge of desperation, fingers gleaming with rings. Though he did not have his crown he had his heavy jewelry and looked every inch the king he was. 

 

Ray wasn’t sure how he had missed Ryan’s regality before. It was undeniable. 

 

“I had the others dismissed so we could talk in private,” Ryan stated, trying to break the ice. “Geoff sent one of the messenger boy ahead so I could prepare. I didn’t know what to expect so I thought I’d better get rid of the council. They’re good men but this should be...well, private.”

 

Seeing Ryan fumble like he had as a lord should have eased Ray’s nerves but they were so lively that nothing could have soothed them. In all honesty, he was stunned seeing the Alpha appearing so decadent. “By the gods, you look like a king.”

 

Ryan chuckled softly and his smile brought out the hint of dimples in his cheeks. “Well, I am the king, so that’s good.”

 

Ray shook himself out of his stupor. “That was so rude. Forgive me, my lord. M-my king.” He stuttered, knees knocking as he remembered who he was speaking to. “My Grace.  _ Your _ Grace. I’m sorry.”

 

Ryan held up a hand with a gentling rumble. “Please, none of that.”

 

“I’ve come to…” Ray’s fists clenched as he regathered his courage, trying not to cower in front of his king. He tried to think of him as a man, flesh and blood and  _ soul _ standing in front of him. “I’ve thought about what you said, and about what I want and what I deserve. T-There comes a time when a man has to be selfish, and damn the consequences to get what they want. A time when a man has to stop listening to everyone else and listen to himself.”

 

Ryan stood up straighter and nodded, steeling himself for the Omega’s firm rejection. He could not have hoped for more after the pain he’d caused. Whatever Ray wanted, he would accept and honor. 

 

Ray swallowed past the lump in his throat and raised his chin, staring the Alpha down. “You will have to start again if you want to court me.”

 

Ryan’s jaw dropped dumbly but the Omega continued. 

 

“You will have to earn the right to touch me. And I won’t just fall in your bed, sir.  _ Sire _ ,” Ray corrected, recovering quickly. “I won’t be your whore. Not ever. Whatever we’re doing here, whatever’s between us, it will be hard earned. Do you understand me?”

 

Ryan nodded though he was struggling to comprehend the weight of what he was hearing. 

 

“I didn’t lie when I said how much you hurt me, and that I feel as if I’ve lost something precious.” Ray drew his lip between his teeth and tried to push down the aching pressure swelling up in his stomach. His eyes burned and he swore to himself he wouldn’t cry, not again. “But you’re still the Alpha I’ve grown to care for. You are the king and I am but your humble servant. There are those who would think me filth under your fingertips, and I don’t know what will come of all this. But...but I don’t care.”

 

He let out a low, shuddering breath. “I don’t care about anything anymore. I want what we had before but I want it to be real this time. I just want...I want you to kiss me. I want to feel you against me and know it’s the truth.”

 

Ryan closed the distance between them and wrapped an arm around the Omega, fingers fanning along the dip of his back and pulling him close. Ray’s breath hitched as they pressed tight, the warmth of the Alpha’s body and his scent going straight to his head like wine. He whined as his mouth was taken in the kiss he’d so feverently been wanting. It was strikingly different in their last because this time the anger had fizzled away into need. He yielded to the Alpha’s kiss and it felt so satisfying to simply lean in and  _ feel _ . He wrapped his arms around Ryan’s shoulders and parted his lips, sighing happily when he was so lovingly claimed. 

 

“Ryan,” he whimpered, his own heart beating frantically at the taste of the name between their mouths. “My  _ Ryan _ , gods…”

 

Ryan’s eyes fell shut in reverence. “To hear you say that is the sweetest balm.”

 

“Another, please,” Ray pleaded, chewing the side of his lip as he looked at the king through a coy fan of lashes. “And after that, you’ll start earning the right to even kiss my hand.”

 

“I will earn it, I swear to you,” Ryan rumbled, their noses brushing in a tender way that made the Omega shiver. “No matter how long it takes, Ray, I will earn it all back. I’ll show you my honesty.”

 

Ray chittered faintly, already swooning at the idea of being courted for real this time. “I believe I’ll enjoy every minute of it.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Comments and chapter suggestions are always welcome on my tumblr or on here


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